O. Lambotte et al., THROMBOANGIITIS-OBLITERANS WITH INAUGURAL RHEUMATIC MANIFESTATIONS - A REPORT OF 3 CASES, Revue du rhumatisme, 64(5), 1997, pp. 334-338
Thromboangiitis obliterans, or Buerger's disease, is a segmental occlu
sive inflammatory disorder of the small- and medium-sized arteries and
veins seen in young adults and associated with cigarette smoking, The
lesions are most marked in the distal limbs, We report three cases in
which the first manifestations were rheumatic, consisting in polyarth
ritis in two cases and carpal tunnel syndrome in one, Rheumatic manife
stations are infrequent and rarely inaugural in thromboangiitis oblite
rans, although they are probably underdiagnosed, Their pathogenesis is
unclear but may involve autoimmunity, Heightened awareness of the pos
sibility that rheumatic manifestations can inaugurate thromboangiitis
obliterans may allow an earlier diagnosis of this disease, which may i
mprove the functional prognosis, However, recovery can be achieved onl
y if the patient stops smoking.