Successful Treatment of Intermittent Claudication Due to Spinal Canal Stenosis Using Beraprost Sodium, a Stable Prostaglandin I2 Analogue

Abstract

The syndrome of intermittent claudication can be induced not only by vascular insufficiency of the lower limbs but also by diseases of the spinal cord and cauda equina. The authors describe a sixty-year-old man with intermittent claudication due to spinal canal stenosis who was successfully treated with beraprost sodium, a stable prostaglandin I2 analogue. This drug has a long biological half-life and is orally effective in vasodilation, which is suggested to be beneficial in treating this syndrome. Beraprost sodium may become one of the major drugs for conservative therapy of intermittent claudication induced by spinal canal stenosis.

Studies on the Effectiveness and Safety of Cilostazol, Beraprost Sodium, Prostaglandin E₁ for the Treatment of Intermittent Claudication

“…The duration until the pharmacological eŠect appears in IC treatments is 2-4 weeks for cilostazol, 24) and 1 week in beraprost. 25) For PGE 1 there are no reports that have documented the exact time of onset but it seems to be considerably faster. Data does indicate that the PGE 1 eŠect persists for a long time after drug administration is discontinued, in spite of the short half-life.…”