Current trends in thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease) in women

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) affects mainly young male smokers and rarely women. Clinical manifestations between men and women with TAO were compared based on the Japanese Nationwide Survey database. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From the database registered in 1993, 850 patients with complete records were analyzed. There were 771 males and 79 females, with the mean age of 50.8 +/- 0.4 years. The following factors were compared: Fontaine's classification, distribution of lesions, associated disease, response to treatment, and outcome. RESULTS: Fontaine's classification at the first consultation (P = 0.372) and at the survey (P = 0.740), the incidence of migratory superficial phlebitis (P = 0.76), ulcer formation (P = 0.306), requirement for amputation (P = 0.809) were not different between men and women. Nonsmokers at the first consultation were more common among women (25.3%) than among men (4.9%; P <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical presentations in women with TAO were almost equal to those in men. The only difference was the higher incidence of nonsmokers in women at the first consultation, but it did not influence the response to treatment or outcome. Am J Surg. 1999;171:316-320. (C) 1999 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.