Smoking and Thromboangitis Obliterans– Are they related

Authors

  • Prakash Sapkota Department of Surgery, Lumbini Medical College, Palpa, Nepal.
  • Prakash Budhathoky Department of Oral and Dental, Lumbini Zonal Hospital, Butwal, Nepal.
  • Stanley Mathew Department of Surgery, Lumbini Medical College, Palpa, Nepal.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.2755

Keywords:

smoking; thromboangitis obliterans.

Abstract

Introduction: In 1908 Leo Buerger first gave the world the clinical picture of this dreadful disease which he called Thromboangitis Obliterans. Virtually all investigators believe that smoking or tobacco use in some form is a requirement for the diagnosis of Thromboangitis Obliterans. We studied the demographic profile and smoking pattern of patients with Thromboangiitis Obliterans.

Methods: Retrospective study carried out in a tertiary level hospital of South India from 1st January 1997 to 31st December 2003. Patients fulfilling Shionoya’s criteria form the study group. Incidence of Thromboangitis Obliterans, relation to smoking habits, type and nature of manifestation were analyzed.

Results: A total of 105 cases were studied and found to have declining pattern of incidence from 0.9%-0.3%. All patients were males, smokers at the time admission and 76% out of them were from low socioeconomic background. Patients smoking 5-15 cigarettes per day, for 5-10 years duration constituted 45% of the study group. The most frequent reasons for being referred to hospital were ischemic ulcers (83.80%), claudication (78.0%) and rest pain (26.66%).  

Conclusions: In those who present early with the disease the number of cigarettes and duration of smoking shows no direct correlation to the severity. Most patients continue to smoke inspite of counseling and awareness that the disease progresses due to smoking. Ulcer, intermittent claudication and rest pain are the three common presenting symptoms of Thromboangitis Obliterans. 

Keywords: smoking; thromboangitis obliterans.

References

Hill GL, Moeliono J, Tumewu F, Brataamadja D, Tohardi A.. The Buerger’s syndrome in Java. Br J Surg. 1973;60:606-13.
Juergens JL, Spittell JA, Fairbairn II JF. Peripheralvascular diseases. 5thed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders company; 1980. p.469.
Matsushita M, Nishikimi N, Sakurai T, Nimura Y. Decrease in prevalence of Buerger’s disease in Japan. Surgery.1998;124:498-502.
Olin JW. Thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger’s disease). N Engl J Med. 2000;343:864-9.
Papa MZ, Adar R. A critical look at thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger’s disease). Perspect Vasc Surg. 1992;5:1-21.

Mills JL, Porter JM. Buerger’s disease: A review and update. Semin Vasc Surg.1993;6:14-23.
Wong J, Lam ST, Ong GB. Buerger’s disease—a review of 105 patients. Aust N Z J Surg.1978 Aug;48(4):382-7.
RJ Last, RMH McMinn. Lasts Anatomy Regional and Applied. 9th Edition. London: Churchill Livingstone; 1994. p. 189-90.
Shionoya S. Buerger’s disease (thromboangiitis obliterans). 3rd ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; 1989. p. 207-17.
Som AL. Thromboangiitis obliterans. Ind J Surg. 1952;14:249-60.
Rao AS, Rao GN, Vasantha VC. Thromboangiitis obliterans: A clinicopathological study. J Ind Med Assoc.1976;66:98-101.
Goodman RM, Elian B, Moses M. Buerger’s disease in Israel. Am J Med.1965;39:601-15.

Downloads

Published

2014-06-30

How to Cite

Sapkota, P., Budhathoky, P., & Mathew, S. (2014). Smoking and Thromboangitis Obliterans– Are they related. Journal of Nepal Medical Association, 52(194), 802–805. https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.2755

Issue

Section

Original Article

Most read articles by the same author(s)