To evaluate the intimal thickness and continuity of the internal elastic lamina (IEL) in the mesenteric arteries, proximal segments of the coeliac artery (CA), superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) were studied light microscopically in 123 consecutive postmortem examinations. The mean age of the subjects was 62 years. Arterial segments were fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin blocks, sectioned, and stained with Masson's trichrome. Fifty-one per cent of the samples examined showed at least minimal intimal thickening. The occurrence of significant luminal narrowing increased with age. We found a positive correlation between defects in the IEL and thickness of the intima in the mesenteric arteries, which is in harmony with previous observations showing marked fragmentation of the IEL in atherogenesis.