Buergers disease

Overview

Buergers disease is a rare affection belonging to the group of primary vasculitides which typically afflicts young male smokers. The affection comes in flts and exacerbations are usually caused by infections. It begins with migrating phlebitis, affected are peripheral arteries with a typical angiographic picture of conical closure, leading to ischemia in the extremities with a relatively rapid development of trophic defects. Decisive in therapy is to drop the tobacco hábit. Acute stages are treated with nonsteroid antirheumatics, anticoagulants, antibiotics or even corticoids. Therapy of chronic stages is like in obliterating atherosclerosis, only revasculariza-tion interventions which are more complicated in view of peripheral localization, are often problematic. Lumbar sympathectomy can be of beneflc

Key words:
Buerger's disease - ischemia - extremities - migrating phlebitis - Bynauďs phenomenon