[Etiologic profile of digital necrosis in an internal medicine department].

Background: Digital necrosis is a frequent event in vascular pathology. They are multiple etiologies and are the translation of a general or locoregional pathology. The aim of our study was to clarify the various causes of digital necrosis in an internal medicine department.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 23 cases of digital necrosis collected in the internal medicine department of the hospital Habib Thameur over a period from January 1998 to April 2011 .

Results: There were 16 women and 7 men with mean age of 46 years. The cardiovascular risk factors were observed in 39.13% cases. Digital necroses were interested fingers in 73.91% and toes in 30.43% of the cases. The causes were dominated by the connective diseases. The treatment was symptomatic in all cases and etiologic in only two cases.

Conclusion: In internal medicine, the causes are dominated by connectivites. The prognosis is especially functional. It remains unfavorable in spite of the improvement of the therapeutic and etiologic care.