title: Clinical and morphological aspects of Buerger's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thirty-five patients with TAO and 35 with ASO have been studied. To determine differences between these two arterial diseases, we used clinical criteria, arteriographic and morphological methods. The peripheral (below the bifurcation of the popliteal artery) angiographic changes were found in TAO with 94% sensitivity, 94% specificity and with 96% of positive predictive value. Other clinical diagnostic criteria for differential diagnosis had a lower value (they had high sensitivity and low specificity or low sensitivity and high specificity).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The histologic studies confirmed the clinical diagnoses of Buerger's disease in 92,9% cases. The pathologic findings in TAO and ASO were different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our investigations proved that the characteristics of Buerger's disease include the development of changes not only in small and medium size arteries or veins, but also in microcirculation.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Vascular Surgery, University School of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Majewski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marszalek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Staniszewiski
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Majewski
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zapalski
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Biczysko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001162:Arteriosclerosis Obliterans / Q000473:pathology; D002196:Capillaries / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002455:Cell Division; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D008875:Middle Aged; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013919:Thromboangiitis Obliterans / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016909:Tibial Arteries / Q000648:ultrastructure