Buerger's disease, its origin, symptoms and treatment

Buerger's disease is an inflammatory disease of veins and arteries of medium and small diameter associated with the pathology of the immune system. This disease is of three types, depending on the location of the arterial bed, in which the problem of blood flow is detected:

- The distal type is characterized by the defeat of arteries of small diameter. These can be hands, feet, lower leg and forearm. His number of the total number of diseases Burger is 60-65%.

- The proximal type extends to large and medium diameter arteries, such as the aorta, femoral and iliac arteries. The number of diseases of this type is 15-20%.

- Mixed type is a combination of two types of arterial damage. This type of sick 15-20% of patients.

Depending on the degree of difficulty in blood flow, Buerger's disease occurs in four stages:

- The first stage of the disease is called the period of functional compensation. Patients complain of burning and tingling at the fingertips, chills and fatigue. During cooling, the limbs become pale and cold. When walking at an average speed over a distance of more than 1000 meters, there is intermittent claudication. The patient experiences pain in the calf muscles, feet and legs due to insufficient blood supply. In the arteries, the pulse is absent or weakly expressed.

- The second stage is of two types: type "A", when intermittent claudication occurs during the distance from 200 to 1000 meters, and type "B", when it is sufficient to cover a distance of less than 200 meters for the appearance of lameness.

Buerger's disease at stage 2B is characterized by atrophy of the small muscles of the foot, as well as its subcutaneous fat.

Pulse in the foot is not palpable. The skin of the shins and feet loses elasticity, becomes dry and flaky, hyperkeratosis appears on the surface of the sole.

The growth of hair and nails slows down, the nails become thick and dull.

- The third stage is divided into type "A", in which pains arise at rest, and type "B", pain at which arise at rest with severe ischemic edema. Buerger's disease at stage 3B is expressed in thinning of the skin and its slight vulnerability. The slightest scrapes and bruises lead to the formation of cracks and painful ulcers. There is rapid progress in the atrophy of the muscles of the foot and lower leg.

- The fourth stage of the disease is divided into type "A", when there are necrotic transformations in the toes of the foot with the possibility of retaining their supporting function, and type "B", when the gangrene of the tissues requires a high limb amputation. At the 4A stage, destructive changes occur. To unbearable and constant pain at this stage leads to illness Burger, the photo leaves no doubt about it. In the remote parts of the limbs, more often on the fingers, deep ulcers are formed. Gangrene moist type requires immediate amputation of the limb.

This serious illness has a medical name - "obliterating thromboangiitis". Complaints of patients are caused by chronic limb ischemia. Patients often complain of high sensitivity to low temperatures, numbness, persistent convulsions, weakness and pain in the limbs.