[Vascular complications in intravenous drug addicts].

Twenty patients with complications of drug addiction were admitted to the Department of Vascular Surgery of the Santa Catarina University Hospital, from January 1986 to September 1990. Most of these patients were male, aged between 20 and 35 years. The most common drug used was propoxiphene, followed by cocaine. Swelling, ulcers and pain in the inferior extremities were the most common signs and symptoms. Six patients presented deep venous thrombosis, four had acute lymphangitis, all of them in the lower limbs. Five patients had acute arterial occlusions, one presented common femoral artery mycotic aneurysm and another had a false aneurysm of the superficial femoral artery. Venous and lymphatic complications were clinically treated with antibiotics, heparin and local care. Six patients were submitted to surgical procedures. One was treated by aneurysmectomy and vascular reconstruction, another with aneurysmectomy and arterial ligation. On one patient forearm fasciotomy was performed. Two amputations and one drainage of abscess were carried out.