[Frequency of peripheral arterial occlusive disease in patients with coronary heart disease with and without infarction (author's transl)].

In 107 consecutive patients the frequency of peripheral arterial occlusive disease in coronary heart disease was assessed by selective coronary angiography and sonographic Doppler pressure estimation. Among 75 patients with coronary heart disease 21 (28%) had arterial occlusive disease, among 32 patients without coronary heart disease only one (3%). There was no statistically significant correlation between the severity of both diseases. 40 out of 75 patients with coronary heart disease had suffered from cardiac infarction. Infarction frequency showed a highly significant correlation with increasing severity of the coronary heart disease, but none with increasing severity or frequency of arterial occlusive disease. When there was no arterial occlusive disease all degrees of severity of coronary heart disease were found. Analysing the literature it becomes evident that coronary heart disease is frequently an isolated or premature manifestation of arteriosclerosis.