An Arteriographic and Histological Study of Digital Arteries

Abstract

Post-mortem brachial arteriography was performed on 94 subjects. Histological appearances of the digital arteries were studied in 80. The variations with age are illustrated. Digital arteries show increasing intimal thickening with age but complete occlusion is rare before the age of 50 yr. After the age of 50, complete occlusion is commoner in men than women and there is often clinical or pathological evidence of cardiovascular disease, particularly atheroma of the coronary arteries or the aorta. Of 10 patients showing the most severe grade of occlusive changes, 5 had definite rheumatoid disease diagnosed during life and 2 showed evidence of healed disease at post-mortem radiography. This high incidence tends to confirm that rheumatoid disease may predispose to digital vascular occlusion.