[Arteritis dependent on infective process: the convenience of heparin use]

Twenty patients with peripheral arteritis due to an infectious disease were studied with the purpose to detect the etiological agent in the vessels belonging to ischemic areas; to establish the relationship between the onset and evolution of the ischemic lesions and the infectious disease; and to verify the appropriateness of the treatment with anticoagulants. Ten patients had meningococal disease with positive blood culture for Neisseria meningitidis. The meningococci were found in vessel walls of ischemic areas. The cutaneous lesions had sudden onset and a rapid evolution. Five patients had pneumonia or gastroenteritis. No microorganisms were detected in the vessel walls of the ischemic areas. The cutaneous necrotic lesions appeared from two to six days after the infectious disease was diagnosed. Therefore, heparinization was considered appropriate to block the extension of the disseminated intravascular coagulation secondary to the vasculitis. Three patients had, probably, post-streptococcal sensibilization arteritis and two post-measles arteritis. No etiological agent was identified in the vessel walls. The necrotic lesions of the extremities appeared from five to 21 days after the clinical course of the infection. The lesions had the complete evolution in a period from one to four days. It was considered appropriate to start the heparinization in the evolutive period of the peripheral lesions in an attempt to reduce the ischemia by the interruption of the intravascular coagulation related to the vasculitis. In heparinized patients in whom the necrotic lesions did not extend completely in the extremities, the evolution to irreversible gangrene and limb loss did not occur.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)