End arteritis

Inflammation of the intima, or innermost coat of an artery. The acute form is rare, and only occurs in the aorta and the larger arteries. Ulceration is very rarely present. The chronic form, also named Atheroma, and Arteritis deformans, is a peculiar change or degeneration occurring in the arterial coats of the aged, and is preceded by a fatty degeneration of the ti ues of the arteries. Syphilis is supposed to play an important part in the production of this condition. The immediate cause, however, is mechanical irritation due to the force of the circulation. The fatty debris and the cholesterin that are formed during the degenerative proce accumulate in spaces beneath the intima and constitute the so called atheromatous absce es. The so-called atheromatous ulcer is formed by one of these absce es breaking through the intima. The sequels of atheromatous degeneration are very grave. Aneurysm, thrombosis, embolism, and apoplexy frequently result, and hence, the ultimate prognosis is bad. Arterio-capillary Fibrosis, or Arterio-sclerosis, is a peculiar change occurring in the small ve els throughout the body, and consisting in a thickening of the adventitia and intima by a deposit of a hyaline -fibroid material which diminishes the caliber of the ve els, increases the arterial tension, and thus gives rise to the hypertrophy of the heart that is present in this condition.