[Antiphlogistic effect of bromelaine following third molar removal].

A placebo-controlled double-blind study of 100 patients with impacted and/or dislocated lower wisdom teeth was conducted to examine the tolerance and antiphlogistic efficacy of bromelaine--a mixture of proteolytic enzymes from ananas comosus. Treatment was started 1 day prior to third molar surgery with a daily dose of 3 x 80 mg and was continued for a total of 6 days. On the 1st day following surgery, linear measurement (distance: tragus-pogonion) showed swelling to be 7.5% lower under drug treatment than in the placebo group. Two-dimensional image evaluation increased this difference to 15.9%, which however still failed to attain the significance level of 20%. Between the 3rd and the 7th postoperative day no differences were found between the two groups regarding the extent of soft tissue swelling or the speed of edema resolution.