Thromboangiitis Obliterans (TAO) or Buerger Disease

Thromboangiitis obliterans or Winiwarter-Leo Buerger’s disease is still a mysterious disease. What is curious is that, being a vascular disease, it is not observed either in children or in the elderly and it has a peculiar geographical predominantly in South-East Asia, Middle East Asia, the Far East, and Eastern Europe, but not in Mediterranean countries or South America. Noteworthily, it is related to smoking, with improvements and relapses if smoking and periodontitis are interrupted or not. It has its own histology with inflammatory cell infiltration of all layers of the arterial wall, differentiating it from other vasculitis; this particularity is the basis of its diagnosis together with the clinical manifestations as there are no specific laboratory tests to confirm the diagnosis. Although not lethal, complications such as ulcers, gangrene, infections or even amputation of a limb are very frequent. In the absence of specific treatment, education to reduce or better avoid exposure to tobacco becomes even more valuable.