Buerger's disease: a 10-year experience in Tehran, Iran

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Epidemiology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans) is a rare inflammatory vascular condition.
• Previous epidemiological data on Buerger's disease in Iran is limited.
• The clinical presentation and epidemiology of thromboangiitis obliterans may be evolving.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans) in Iran.
• To analyze patient demographics, clinical manifestations, and treatment patterns.
• To identify potential seasonal variations in disease incidence.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 198 confirmed cases of thromboangiitis obliterans diagnosed between 1996 and 2006.
• Diagnosis confirmed using Papa's scoring system.
• Data collected on patient demographics, smoking history, affected limbs, and surgical interventions.

Main Results:

• All 198 patients were male, with an average age of 40.5 years.
• All patients were smokers, with an average smoking duration of 22.2 years.
• Lower limb involvement was most common (91.4%), followed by upper limb (2.0%) and combined involvement (6.6%).
• A significant seasonal variation in admissions was noted, with winter being the most frequent season (P < 0.001).
• Surgical interventions included sympathectomy (49.0%), amputation (35.9%), and bypass graft surgery (14.1%).

Conclusions:

• Buerger's disease in Iran primarily affects young to middle-aged male smokers with lower limb ischemia.
• The study confirms a significant seasonal variation in thromboangiitis obliterans admissions, with a peak in winter.
• These findings contribute to understanding the epidemiology and clinical spectrum of Buerger's disease in the region.