Benign Buerger's disease

Thromboangiitis obliterans is the medical term for the popularly known Buerger’s disease, which refers to an uncommon disorder of the veins and arteries in the extremities. When one comes to suffer from Buerger’s disease, his/her blood vessels either in the arms or legs become inflamed and swollen and the thrombi may block the normal blood flow. The thrombi are actually the blood clots. When this happens, then the skin tissues become damaged, thus resulting in an infection and gangrene.

Buerger’s disease first appears in the hands or in the feet and then spreads to the other part of the extremities. This disease usually appears in the males under 40 years of age, although it is observed that in recent years, it is becoming quite common in the females as well.

Symptoms of Buerger’s disease

The people who suffer from Buerger’s disease usually experience pain in the hands or feet when they are using them, and this stops once they rest the extremities.Furthermore, the person may also experience inflammation, which might be noticed along the vein just beneath the surface of the skin. This occurs because of the blood clot in the blood vessel.

Buerger’s disease may cause the occurrence of Raynaud’s phenomenon, when the fingers and toes become pale in the situations they are exposed to low temperatures. In some cases, the people with Buerger’s disease may have open sores on the fingers and toes, which is very painful.

Causes of Buerger’s disease

The experts have not yet discovered what triggers this disease, which is why it is believed that the genetic reasons are responsible for the development of Buerger’s disease. However, it is observed that the smokers are the most susceptible to the development of this condition. When the blood vessels get inflamed and swollen, and when the blood clots are formed within the blood vessels, the blood flow is obstructed and the hands and feet do not receive sufficient amounts of nutrients and oxygen, thus resulting in the pain and other symptoms of this disease.

When the skin and the tissues in the hands or in the feet do not get enough oxygen and nutrients, they tend to die and gangrene occurs, which is a serious condition since it needs the amputation of the affected part of the extremity. The main signs of gangrene are the black or blue skin and bad smell, as well as the loss of the sensation in the affected part of the extremity.