Stanozolol and the Treatment of Venous Ulceration — An Interim Report

A report on an interim analysis of a large placebo-controlled double-blind randomized clinical trial evaluating the role of fibrinolytic enhancement in the management of venous ulceration is described. Seventy-five patients with venous ulcers have entered the trial and fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The ulcers were treated by a standard regime of compression bandaging combined with the oral administration of placebo or stanozolol (Stromba; Sterling Research Laboratories, Guildford). Treatment was continued until healing, and the healing times were compared between the two groups. Sixty-five per cent of ulcers treated with stanozolol have healed and 61.5 % on placebo. There was no overall difference in the healing times of patients treated with stanozolol or placebo. When the healing times were analysed after stratification into initial size, there was no difference between the ulcers of small (less than 2 cm 2 ) or large (greater than 5 cm 2 ) initial area, but for the ulcers between 2 and 5 cm 2 there was a trend in favour of improved healing for those ulcers treated with stanozolol ( P = 0.13, log rank test).