CLINICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF BUERGERS-DISEASE

Background. Thirty-five patients with TAO and 35 with ASO have been st udied. To determine differences between these two arterial diseases, w e used clinical criteria, arteriographic and morphological methods. Th e peripheral (below the bifurcation of the popliteal artery) angiograp hic changes were found in TAO with 94% sensitivity, 94% specificity an d with 96% of positive predictive value. Other clinical diagnostic cri teria for differential diagnosis had a lower value (they had high sens itivity and low specificity or low sensitivity and high specificity). Results. The histologic studies confirmed the clinical diagnoses of Bu erger's disease in 92.9% cases. The pathologic findings in TAO and ASO were different.Conclusions. Our investigations proved that the charac teristics of Buerger's disease include the development of changes not only in small and medium size arteries or veins, but also in microcirc ulation.