Surgical Treatment in Patient with Thromboangiitis Obliterans

Abstract

SUMMARY Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO), also known as Buerger’s Disease, is a non atherosclerotic inflammatory disease of the medium- and small-caliber blood vessels of the lower and upper limbs; occurring with greater incidence in men in the age bracket from 45 to 50, is of unknown etiology, yet strongly associated with tobaccoism. The diagnosis of such pathology is essentially clinical, making use of complementary exams such as angiography and anatomopathological exams in order to do so. This is despite the fact that none of them can reveal the pathognomonic alterations of this pathology. The clinical treatment is made by means of vasodilator and other substances associated with the discontinuance of the use of tobacco, the use of surgical treatment is only required in some very specific situations. The evolution of TAO is extreme, with affected patients developing critical ischemia and needing limb amputation. We describe the case of a 49 year old male patient with TAO, who presented pain at rest and who underwent the revascularization surgery with good results. The present work describes the rarity of the use in the surgical treatment of this disease. DESCRIPTORS Blood vessels. Tobaccoism. Thromboangiitis Obliterans.