Pathology

Abstract

G. A. BOUGHTON AND S. C. SOMMERS (Am. J. ou«. Path., January, 1957) have described the post-mortem findings in eight patients who had been in shock and had been treated with levarterenol, a preBSor amine. The levarterenol was usually infused at a rate that would maintain the systolic blood pressure at 100 millimetres of mercury. In each ease there was prominent degeneration in the proximal convoluted tubules, with degeneration of lesser degree affecting the glomeruli and both the afferent and efferent arterioles. In addition, the largest medullary veins had funnel-like constrietions of their lumina owing to circumscribing bands of contracted smooth muscle. Such sphincter-like structures in the renal veins of humans have not been previously described. The abnormalities in the kidneys are thought by the authors to be due to ischsemia associated with spasm of the renal arterioles and medullary veins, possibly as a result of levarterenol therapy. Anuria did not develop, probably because death supervened too quickly after the onset of shock.