INTESTINAL-TYPE OF THROMBOANGIITIS-OBLITERANS (BUERGERS-DISEASE)

Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) is a recurrent, inflammatory, segment al occlusive disease of distal limb arteries which may involve veins a s well. Young smokers are predisposed to TAO. The intestinal Vessels a re rarely affected. We report the clinical, angiografic and histologic findings of a 23-year-old smoker with extended thrombophlebitis who d eveloped severe abdominal angina and liver hypoxia due to occlusion of the coeliac artery and subtotal occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery. Two surgical bypassing procedures were followed by early graft occlusion. Subsequently, a plastic patch of the superior mesenteric a rtery and an aortohepatica bypass were performed. The literature since 1945 pertinent to intestinal TAO is reviewed.