Arteries often take part in inflammations in their neighbourhood, but an independent acute inflammation of the walls is very rare. An endocarditis affecting the aortic or pulmonary valve sometimes extends to the neighbouring parts of the aorta or pulmonary artery, producing warty projections on the internal surface of these. More particularly, when, in acute endocarditis, a considerable thrombus forms on the aortic valve and comes against the wall of the aorta, it may lead to an acute endarteritis there.

Purulent arteritis is the result of septic inflammation in the neighbourhood or of septic embolism. The process is similar to that in septic phlebitis.