[Clinical characteristics and morphology of Pickwickian syndrome]

Clinical and morphological evidence obtained for 23 patients with Pickwickian syndrome has been analysed. 18 patients had no other symptoms, 12 patients died of the disease. Standard signs of the syndrome (drowsiness, respiratory distress, diffuse cyanosis, etc.) were not universal, whereas mixed-type respiratory disorders occurred in all the patients as well as right heart hypertrophy, sclerosis and hyalinosis of the lesser circulatory bed found morphologically and histologically.