Pain Relief and Clinical Improvement Temporally Related to the Use of Pentoxifylline in a Patient with Documented Cholesterol Emboli—A Case Report

A sixty-six-year-old man with known severe atherosclerosis was admitted with painful feet and nonblanching purpuric lesions of his toes. He had under gone cardiac catheterization and coronary artery bypass five and three months, respectively, prior to admission. Initial treatment included: stopping the pa tient's lisinopril, increasing his nifedipine dose, and adding pentoxifylline 400 mg po tid. Within twenty-four hours pain was markedly decreased. Skin biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of cholesterol embolism. Pentoxifylline was stopped and intravenous heparin therapy was initiated. Within twenty-four hours, pain re turned. Nitrol paste applied to the top of each foot had no effect. After forty- eight hours, pentoxifylline was restarted. Once again, pain relief was noted within twenty-four hours, and after forty-eight hours both feet were visibly improved. Heparin and analgesics were discontinued. On the ninth hospital day, the patient was able to walk and was discharged to home. The innocuous nature of the ...