Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Buerger’s disease

pathology
Also known as: Buerger’s disease, thromboangiitis obliterans

Buerger’s disease, inflammation of the peripheral arteries primarily, which occurs chiefly in men from adolescence to middle age. The cause is unknown but may be hypersensitivity, especially to tobacco, because affected persons are often heavy smokers. As in peripheral arteriosclerosis, the disease causes intermittent lameness and pain during periods of rest. Buerger’s disease may eventually block arteries and cause gangrene. Some authorities classify the disease as atherosclerosis.