Pentoxifylline therapy after laparoscopic surgery for different stages of endometriosis: a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study

Abstract

Study objective: To evaluate the effects of pentoxifylline administration on patients with different stages of endometriosis on whom laparoscopy was performed.

Design: Prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical (Canadian Task Force classification I).

Setting: University and private hospitals.

Patients: Eighty-eight women, all with infertility, some with dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, or pelvic pain, on whom a laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis was made.

Interventions: The treatment group received 800 mg pentoxifylline daily for 6 months immediately after surgery. The control group received placebo capsules. All patients were followed-up for 1 year thereafter.

Measurements and main results: A comparison of pregnancy rate and recurrence of signs and symptoms in the 2 groups was performed. Forty-three patients were studied in the pentoxifylline group and 45 in the placebo group. The cumulative pregnancy rate was 39.5% and 35.6% in the treatment and control groups, respectively. The overall recurrence of signs and symptoms was 14% in the former group and 15.6% in the latter. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in rates of pregnancy and recurrence (p = .700 and .832, respectively). Nor was there any significant statistical difference between the same stages in the 2 groups regarding immunomodulation.

Conclusions: According to the results of this study, and while keeping in mind that appropriate surgery is the main aspect of endometriosis treatment, there is no evidence that immunomodulation with pentoxifylline aids fertility or lessens recurrence of signs and symptoms in women with different stages of endometriosis (i.e., minimal, mild, moderate, or severe).