Buerger's disease

ABSTRACT

In Bureger's angiographic findings are not pathognomonic, but in most cases they are diagnostic. We reviewedperipheral angiography of 36 cases of Buerger's disease who were suspected clinically during the period from Jan.1979 to Dec. 1984. The results were as follows 1. The sex distribution of the cases were 34 males and 2females(171) and most common in 4th decade. Eight-six percents of the patients were smokers. 2. Chief complainson admission were ulceration, pain at rest, coldness, and discoloration. 3. The anterior tibial artery wasaffected most commonly (88%) and posterior tibial(76%), peroneal(68%), popliteal(22%), and femoral arteruy(15%) inorder. 4. The angiographic findings were 1) In all cases, there was abscence of arteriosclerotic lesions andshowed smooth vessel walls in non-affected arteries. 2) Direct corkscrew type collaterals were found in 2% of thelesions, and indirect type collaterals in 81%. The tree-root or spider's leg type collaterals were also found in74%. 3) Standing-wave patterns were found in 30% which affected above the popliteal artery. 4) Early venousdrainage was found in 16% of the lesions.