Systemic Arterial Disease with Myocardial Infarction

an occlusive, diffuse, generalized lesion in medium and small-sized arteries, with particular involvement of the heart, skin, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, pancreas, and liver. It showed a fibrous thickening of the intima; the internal lamina elastica, the media, and the adventitia remained unchanged. A pathogenic interpretation of the vascular lesions is attempted, and their asynchronism in the most seriously involved organs is pointed out. The vascular lesions have a great resemblance to those seen in progressive arterial occlusive disease. Despite the antecedent of chronic arsenic poisoning through drinking water, no demonstrable etiologic evidence was found in the vascular lesions; nevertheless, its connection with arsenic, as in blackfoot disease, should be considered.