Aortic atherosclerosis in Laënnec's cirrhosis. A comparative study using a planimeter

A postmortem comparison of atherosclerotic lesions of the aorta was made between 107 cirrhotic and 168 control subjects with mean ages of 61 and 64, respectively. The cause of death in 93 of the control subjects was malignant neoplasms. Individuals with a history of hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, hypertension, ischemic arterial disease, cerebral vascular accidents, or myocardial infarction were eliminated from this study. The entire aorta was removed during necropsy, and the ratio between the total aortic surface and the surface areas of fibrous, calcified, and ulcerated lesions was determined, using a planimeter. Statistical analysis disclosed no difference between the cirrhotic or control groups in either the extent or type of atherosclerotic lesions.