Is Thromboangiitis Obliterans a true vasculitis?
Thromboangiitis Obliterans also known as Buerger’s disease , is an inflammatory, obliterative, nonatheromatous vascular disease that most commonly affects the small- and medium-sized arteries and veins.
In the acute phase of this condition, a highly inflammatory thrombus will form, and although there is some inflammation in the blood vessel wall itself, the inflammatory changes are not nearly as prominent as in other forms of vasculitis, and the internal elastic lamina is preserved. However, because of the associated mild inflammatory changes within the blood vessel, TO is pathologically considered a vasculitis.
