Necrotizing vasculitis and atherosclerosis.

We describe five patients aged 50 years or above who had severe atherosclerosis and necrotizing vasculitis. The vasculitis was seen in the small vessels of four patients and in the medium-sized vessels of one. All five patients had multiple necrotic ulcerative skin lesions, and two underwent amputation. Our cases suggest that the relationship between the two disorders changes and exacerbates the clinical and pathological expression of each disease.