[Histochemical studies on striated muscle of ischemic and angiosurgically reperfused lower extremities]

There have been reports on an increased oxidative capacity in muscle tissue from the diseased legs of patients with intermittent claudication. In biopsy from specimens the gastrocnemius muscle of 25 patients the effect of arterial reconstructive surgery were studied, using fresh frozen cryostate sections and histochemical reactions for some oxidoreductases. The present study describes additional histochemical changes in the leg muscles in patients suffering from arterial insufficiency. The changes observed are correlated to the clinical severity of the disease.