[Prolonged survey of cases of pulmonary hypertension in relation to consumption of aminorex. Histological, quantitative and morphometric study of 9 cases].

The lesions of pulmonary muscular arteries of 9 female patients who died of pulmonary hypertensive disease between 9 and 17 years after intake of an anorexigenic drug, aminorex fumarate, have been examined by various methods (light microscopy, numeration of lesions, morphometry). The numeration of lesions showed the predominance of fibrotic and dilatation lesions, but also the presence of active lesions (intimal hyperplasia, plexiform lesions). Morphometry revealed an increase in mean thickness of the media, compared to that of the arteries of controls or those of a previous series, and a reduction in mean vascular volume. The existence of sclerotic lesions and reduction of vascular volume may explain the persistence of pulmonary hypertension, which fresh lesions helped to aggravate. It seems likely that functional and morphologic modifications due to the action of the drug had become self-perpetuating and may finally have induced the fatal outcome in these patients many years after intake of the slimming pill.