[Do arteriopathies in patients in their 50s present special characteristics?].

The 50s represent a hinge age-period during which atherosclerosis is more frequent but arterial disease does not appear to present features differing from those observed in neighbouring age groups. There is of course a higher frequency of atherosclerotic lesions of other arterial territories and a fairly high incidence of diabetes. With respect to the latter disease, apart from the typical association arteritis-diabetes, some cases are simply of atherosclerosis developing at the same time as the diabetes. Arteritis of lower limbs can present as two principal types in patient in their 50s: elective aorto-iliac arterial disease similar to early onset atherosclerosis in younger patients and more diffuse forms more typical of arterial disease in the elderly.