XXVI 



ANGIONEUROTIC EDEMA: A PLURIGLANDU- 

 LAR HYPERSECRETORY SYNDROME 



BY D. M. GREEN, M.D., Los Angeles, Calif. 



Angioneurotic edema, usually classed with the dis- 

 eases of the nervous system, is, according to Osier's 

 definition, 1 "an affection characterized by the occur- 

 rence of local edematous swellings more or less limited 

 in extent, and of transient duration." Quincke 2 re- 

 gards it as a vasomotor neurosis, under the influence 

 of which the permeability of the vessels is suddenly 

 increased. Hare 3 subscribes to this view in recom- 

 mending for treatment the use of calcium chloride 

 and magnesium carbonate "to increase blood coag- 

 ulability" and "to prevent attacks by an influence on 

 the blood plasma." Schalek* classes angioneurotic 

 edema as a form of urticaria, and mentions urticaria 

 hemorrhagica, urticaria tuberosa (giant wheals), and 

 urticaria pigmentosa as unusual forms of the same 

 disease; he also concludes that the lesions are "due 

 to a spasmodic contraction of the blood-vessels under 

 the influence of the vasomotor nerves." Osier 1 recom- 

 mends the vasodilator nitroglycerine in the treatment. 

 Handler 5 observes a common definite relationship be- 

 tween menstruation, angioneurotic edema and urti- 

 caria, and believes the latter two may be in the nature 

 of anaphylactic phenomena. Several investigators re- 

 cently have pointed out the close analogy existing be- 

 tween anaphylaxis and hyperthyroidism, and have re- 



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