This study concerns ain evaluation of the anatomicopathologic changes found in blood vessels of the skin in areas of venous insufficiency in the lower legs. These changes have been compared with the vascular structure in comparable areas of skin in normal persons. Control material was obtained in cases in which necropsy was performed and in which there was no history of peripheral vascular disease or arterial hypertension. These specimens were obtained from comparable sites to those of the cases of chronic venous insufficiency and from persons in approximately the same age range.A detailed clinical analysis of the patients included in this study is being given elsewhere' and will be but briefly mentioned here. Sixteen control specimens of skin were obtained, 10 of which were from men and 6 from women. The oldest patient was 85 and the youngest 16 years of age.Thirty-one specimens of skin were obtained from 30 patients for whom a clinical diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency had been made. Of these, 14 were men and 16 women. The oldest was 76 and the youngest 24 years of age.
HISTOPATHOLOGIC STUDIESThe epidermal and dermal changes (other than those involving the blood vessels) will not be reported in detail, inasmuch as they have been wvell described by Gans.2 Other than this description by Gans and a study of a single tissue specimen from a varicose ulcer reported by Golden,3 no description of the cutaneous vascular changes associated with chronic venous insufficiency has been found in a search of the literature. It is assumed, therefore, that this investigation represents the first detailed description of the changes in the arterioles and venules of the skin in this condition.
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