Study: Pentoxifylline only slightly more effective than placebo in treating mouth ulcers

Sheffield, England - Researchers here are refuting previous studies’ claims that pentoxifylline is an effective long-term treatment for mouth ulcers, HealthDay News reports.

According to a research group from the University of Sheffield School of Clinical Dentistry here, pentoxifylline is only slightly more beneficial than placebo in treating recurrent aphthous stomatitis, and the mouth ulcers tend to return once treatment stops. The study was published in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology.

In the study, the researchers randomized 26 patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis to either pentoxifylline (400 mg three times a day) or placebo for 60 days, followed by 60 days of no treatment. Results show that although the pentoxifylline patients had significantly fewer or smaller ulcers, the differences were small when compared with the placebo group. In addition, side effects were common in the pentoxifylline group, members of which experienced recurrence of ulcers to pre-trial condition after treatment stopped.