Buerger's Disease Affecting Mesenteric Arteries: A Rare Cause of Intestinal Ischemia

Abstract

Buerger's disease is a recurrent, inflammatory, segmental, vasoocclusive disease. Typically, the disease affects middle-aged male smokers and involves arteries and veins of extremities. Buerger's disease involving visceral vessels is rare. The authors report on a 51-year-old man with peripheral arterial disease and recurrent intestinal ischemia secondary to Buerger's disease. Clinical and histopathologic features of this case illustrate the life-threatening nature of visceral involvement in Buerger's disease.