1. It involves small to medium arteries.
2. It is common in smokers.
3. It commonly involves lower limb vessels.
4. Cessation of smoking reverses the disease process.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Buerger's Disease (Thromboangiitis Obliterans) — Statement Analysis
Buerger's disease is a non-atherosclerotic, segmental inflammatory disease affecting the small and medium-sized arteries and veins of the extremities, strongly linked to tobacco use.
- Statement 1: It involves small to medium arteries — Correct. Buerger's disease classically affects the small and medium-sized arteries (and accompanying veins and nerves) of the distal upper and lower limbs, sparing large vessels.
- Statement 2: It is common in smokers — Correct. Tobacco use (smoking or chewing) is the single most important etiological and perpetuating factor; the disease is rare in non-users of tobacco, and continued use is associated with disease progression and amputation.
- Statement 3: It commonly involves lower limb vessels — Correct. Although upper limb vessels can be affected, the lower limb (especially infrapopliteal) vessels are most commonly and severely involved, presenting with claudication, rest pain, ischemic ulcers, and gangrene of the digits.
- Statement 4: Cessation of smoking reverses the disease process — Incorrect. Smoking cessation is the only proven measure to halt/arrest progression of the disease and prevent further amputations, but it does not reverse already-established vascular occlusion, ischemic tissue damage, or gangrene. Damaged segments remain damaged; cessation prevents new lesions rather than undoing existing ones.
Selecting the Correct Option
- Option 2 (1, 2 and 3) is correct — it captures the accurate pathological features: small-to-medium vessel involvement, strong smoking association, and predominant lower limb disease.
- Option 1 (1, 2 and 4) is incorrect because it wrongly includes statement 4, overstating smoking cessation as "reversing" rather than merely halting the disease.
- Option 3 (1, 3 and 4) is incorrect as it omits the crucial smoking association (statement 2) while including the flawed statement 4.
- Option 4 (2, 3 and 4) is incorrect as it omits the vessel-size feature (statement 1) while including the flawed statement 4.
Therefore, the correct answer is 1, 2 and 3.
Important Questions from Blood Vessels
- A 48-year-old smoker presents to the OPD with complaints of cramping pain in both the calves on walking to about 100-150 metres. The pain is relieved on taking rest for about 2-3 minutes and the patient is able to walk for some more distance again before the pain appears. This presentation is suggestive of
- Indications for carotid endarterectomy in symptomatic patients are all of the following EXCEPT:
- A policeman of 45 years presented with Lipodermatosclerosis over lower medial aspect of left leg, along with a healed venous ulcer. As per the CEAP (Clinical-etiology-anatomy-pathophysiology) classification his clinical classification will be:
Consider the following statements regarding claudication:
1. It is a marker for silent coronary disease
2. Structured exercise program ( 2 hours per week for 3 months) leads to improvement in symptoms
3. Diabetes mellitus increases the risk and severity of claudication
4. Beta blockers may exacerbate claudication
Which of the above statements are correct?Which of the following is NOT a symptom of atherosclerotic occlusive disease at the bifurcation of aorta (Leriche syndrome)?
