Sustained classic clinical spectrum of thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease).

Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) has been reported to become less common in general population but more common in women, and in elderly patients. The authors looked at the clinical characteristics of TAO in Poland where there was no significant decrease of smoking and the extent of aging of the general population is less profound. They retrospectively reviewed the records of 377 patients with the diagnosis of TAO hospitalized in their institution from 1970 to 1995.

Buerger's disease in two brothers: iliac artery occlusion by thromboangiitis obliterans--case reports.

Several characteristics of thromboangiitis obliterans are unique and confirm the existence of the disease as a distinct pathological entity. Its predilection for young smoking males, peripheral type of vascular involvement, recurrences of superficial thrombophlebites, and typical histolopathology form the principals of the disease although the etiology remains unknown. The authors report the unusual finding of Buerger's disease occurring in two brothers, one of whom had occlusion of the left external iliac and femoral arteries.

[Raynaud's syndrome during the course of polymyalgia rheumatica].

A case is described of polymyalgia rheumatica in which Raynaud's sign appeared at the beginning of the disease parallel with changes of rheumatoid arthritis type without other features of arterial system involvement in particular without clinical features of the involvement of the subclavian or axillary artery. The sign of temporal artery involvement appeared only after 18 months of disease duration. Steroid-therapy produced complete regression of both articular muscular and vascular changes.

[Crural amputation in the course of systemic lupus erythematosis].

A case is presented of a 22-year-old woman in whom, in the course of unrecognised systemic lupus erythematosus, spontaneous abortion, thrombosis of the femoral artery, and inflammatory changes of the crural vessels developed. The administered treatment with steroids failed to prevent crural amputation.