The pulmonary vascular lesions of intravenous drug abuse

摘要: Abstract We examined microscopic sections of lungs from 70 autopsies on persons who abused drugs by intravenous injection in order to evaluate systematically the spectrum pulmonary vascular lesions resulting this practice. Angiothrombosis, most frequent lesion, occurred 13 instances. Morphologic subgroups category include weblike and eccentric intimai fibrous lesions, “plexiform-like” aneurysmally dilated, tortuous small vessels. Thrombotic changes typically are induced injections solutions derived tablets or capsules that ethically intended for oral consumption, because pharmaceutical preparations usually contain insoluble microcry-stals such as talc, starch, cellulose. Ordinary illicit heroin does not enough crystalline debris induce extensive angiothrombosis. found only two specimens with indicative nonthrombotic hypertension; one these had concomitant cirrhosis liver, other aortic mitral valvular bacterial endocarditis. Morphometric studies muscular arteries all lung samples containing scant embolic foreign material did show a significant difference between drug abusers normal control subjects, finding fails support hypothesis vasoconstriction reactions abuse cause hypertension cor pulmonale.