Thromboangiitis obliterans is the alternative name for which disease?

• A. Buerger disease
• B. Giant cell arteritis
• C. Kawasaki disease
• D. Polyarteritis nodosa

Answer: (A)

The disease Thromboangiitis obliterans is another name for Buerger disease. Both terms describe a segmental vasculitis of small- to medium-sized vessels in the extremities, usually in young smokers, where inflammatory thrombi can cause limb ischemia, ulcers, and even autoamputation. The condition often presents with Raynaud phenomenon and has characteristic histology of a thrombus containing neutrophils and microabscesses with accompanying granulomatous inflammation.

Giant cell arteritis involves older patients and affects large arteries like the temporal artery, Kawasaki disease is a pediatric vasculitis with mucocutaneous and cardiac features, and polyarteritis nodosa is a necrotizing vasculitis of medium arteries with multi-system involvement. Their patterns and patient groups don’t match the classic presentation of thromboangiitis obliterans, which is why Buerger disease is the best label for this entity.