title: Smoking and Thromboangitis Obliterans- Are they related ?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 1908 Leo Buerger first gave the world the clinical picture of this dreadful disease which he called Thromboangitis Obliterans. Virtually all investigators believe that smoking or tobacco use in some form is a requirement for the diagnosis of Thromboangitis Obliterans. We studied the demographic profile and smoking pattern of patients with Thromboangiitis Obliterans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study carried out in a tertiary level hospital of South India from 1st January 1997 to 31st December 2003. Patients fulfilling Shionoya's criteria form the study group. Incidence of Thromboangitis Obliterans, relation to smoking habits, type and nature of manifestation were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 105 cases were studied and found to have declining pattern of incidence from 0.9%-0.3%. All patients were males, smokers at the time admission and 76% out of them were from low socioeconomic background. Patients smoking 5-15 cigarettes per day, for 5-10 years duration constituted 45% of the study group. The most frequent reasons for being referred to hospital were ischemic ulcers (83.80%), claudication (78.0%) and rest pain (26.66%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In those who present early with the disease the number of cigarettes and duration of smoking shows no direct correlation to the severity. Most patients continue to smoke inspite of counseling and awareness that the disease progresses due to smoking. Ulcer, intermittent claudication and rest pain are the three common presenting symptoms of Thromboangitis Obliterans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Lumbini Medical College, Palpa.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sapkota
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Dental Lumbini Zonal Hospital, Butwal, Nepal.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Budhathoky
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Lumbini Medical College, Palpa.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mathew
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013919:Thromboangiitis Obliterans / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: smoking; thromboangitis obliterans.