Article Text
Letter
Severe digital ischaemia treated with phosphodiesterase inhibitors
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Pulmonary hypertension is associated with autoimmune diseases, giving rise to digital ischaemia, including Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP). As sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor, relieves the pulmonary hypertension,1 we suggested that it might also benefit digital ischaemia and RP symptoms. This report describes the impact of oral sildenafil (Viagra, donated by Pfizer HK) on three women with autoimmune disease and progressively severe digital ischaemia, despite treatment with a variety of drugs, including intravenous iloprost (fig 1). All patients gave written informed consent to try this off-label treatment.
CASE REPORTS
A 42 year old woman with dermatomyositis “sine …