Thromboangiitis obliterans with ulcer and pain of the toes

Abstract

The evaluation and management of leg ulcers, which include various etiologic factors, is a quintessential task of dermatologists. Thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease) is an inflammatory segmental obliterative disease of small-to-medium arteries and veins, and occurs predominantly in young men who smoke. Clinical findings include painful ulcers and gangrene with unpaired or no peripheral arterial pulses. The Doppler sonogram and angiography are useful modalities for diagnosis. We present a patient with a chronic painful toe ulcer, who was diagnosed as having thromboangiitis obliterans from radiologic findings.