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Report of a Case with Recovery, with Objective Evaluation of Vascular Findings

WALTER S. THOMPSON, Jr., M.D.; WILLIAM W. McCLURE, M.D.; MILTON LANDOWNE, M.D.

Arch Intern Med. 1950;85(4):691-698.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

ERGOT poisoning following therapeutic administration of ergotamine tartrate may manifest itself as a vasoconstrictive response which may progress to gangrene. There is apparently an increased sensitivity of the vessels to the vasoconstrictive action of this derivative of ergot in hepatic disease, exophthalmic goiter, acute infections (particularly puerperal sepsis) and preexisting vascular disease.¹

The pathogenesis of the vascular lesions with subsequent necrosis in experimentally induced ergotism was studied in the fowl's comb by Lewis and Gelfand.² They concluded that ischemia of the vessel wall with resulting endothelial change and stasis was a prerequisite for thrombosis and necrosis. Inasmuch as they found that a similar sequence of events followed mechanical interference with the circulation, they stated that direct poisoning of the tissues seemed to play no part. Vascular changes in man progressing to gangrene following the therapeutic use of preparation of ergot have been described.¹ The histopathologic factors appear . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
CHICAGO; Associate Chief, Section of Gerontology and Cardiovascular Diseases, Baltimore City Hospital BALTIMORE

From the Department of Medicine, University of Chicago.

Footnotes
This study was aided by a grant from the Douglas Smith Foundation for Medical Research of the University of Chicago and the Lilienthal Fund for Research on Hypertension of the University of Chicago.

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