[Role of cilostazol in the sequential therapeutic spectrum of the peripheral arterial occlusion disease (PAOD)].

Cilostazol (Pletal(®), UCB Pharma, Monheim, Deutschland) has been successfully established since its inauguration on the German market in 2007, which is associated with a considerable distribution, in particular, in angiologic patients. However, vascularsurgical specifics in the use of Cilostazol are still lacking. The aim of this very compact short overview is (based on a selective literature search and own clinical experiences over the years) to characterize mechanism of action, use and expectable therapeutic effect of Cilostazol in the challenging management of exclusively vascularsurgcial patients with peripheral arterial occlusion disease (PAOD). Cilostazol inhibits phosphodiesterase 3 and platelet aggregation in a reversible manner with a dose-effect association, has vasodilating potential and a positive inotropic effect but provides a selective effect on the platelets, muscle and endothelial cells of the vascular wall via an intracellular increase of cAMP; in addition, there is an antiproliferative effect, it promotes neoangiogenesis, inhibits apoptosis and generation of endothelial adhesion molecules - taken together, it can be considered antiatherogenic ("anti-arterioscleroticum"). From a clinical point of view, Cilostazol is indicated in stage IIb of PAOD (Fontaine); its recommended dosage is 2x100 (reduced in case of moderate side effects, 2x50) mg with detectable prolongation of subjective (reported by the patient) and objective walking distance (but not in smokers [!]; ABI-based measurement of the effect not suitable) and partially with an improval of the quality of life (associated with a prolonged but steadily improving therapeutic effect from the 4th to the 6th week until the 6th to the 12th month). The profile of side effects is broad but mostly short-term and dominated by headache [~ 30 %] and diarrhoea [~ 15 %]). While Cilostazol not only plays a beneficial role in the setting to be used in the primary arteriosclerotic course of PAOD (called sequential therapeutic preoperative course), it appears also to provide great effect in case of a re-manifestation of claudication (approaching stage IIb according to Fontaine's classification) after previous image-guided interventional or vascularsurgical treatment (suitable conservative mid-term intermediate therapy), i) resulting in a flexible physician's tool of the angiologic and vascularsurgical setting of an outpatient clinic, and ii) which reduces significantly the number of re-interventions or prolonges the time interval(s) in between. This might finally be relevant in the perspective for an amputation-free survival.