Study of Psychological and Addictive Profile of Patients With Buerger's Disease

Background: Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans or TAO) is a rare disease (1/ 10 000) characterized by the development of segmental thrombotic occlusions of the medium and small arteries of the extremities. Afflicted patients are mostly young, male, inveterate tobacco (or cannabis) smokers who present with distal extremity ischemia, ischemic ulcers, of the toes or fingers. Large arteries are typically spared, as are the coronary, cerebral, and visceral circulations. Patients with TAO often suffer from severe ischemic pain and tissue loss culminating in minor and major limb amputation. Clinical diagnostic criteria generally include history of tobacco abuse; age of onset less than 50 years; infrapopliteal, segmental arterial occlusions with sparing of the proximal vasculature; frequent distal upper extremity arterial involvement (Raynaud's syndrome or digital ulceration); superficial phlebitis; and exclusion of arteriosclerosis, diabetes, true arteritis, proximal embolic source, and hypercoagulable states.

While the cause of Buerger's disease remains unknown, the disease onset and clinical course are inextricably linked to tobacco (or cannabis) abuse. Tobacco abstinence generally results in disease quiescence and remains the mainstay of treatment. For some unknown reason, clinicians observed that TAO patients rarely discontinue smoking even though amputation is usually the inevitable consequence and the only method available of controlling pain and ulceration. Few studies were realized and Hofer-Mayer and coll. found remarkable personality features comparing to coronary patients: TAO patients significantly changed their place of work more often, had more absenteeism from work, smoked more before the illness and continued to smoke more frequently during their illness, were more often single or divorced and had more conflicts in their relationships. Those facts led us to explore their psychopathology and their addictive profile.

Purpose: Search the prevalence of personality disorders in Buerger's patients who present with tobacco or cannabis smoking.

Hypothesis: Patients with Buerger's disease show remarkable personality features (psychological and addictive profile) which are vulnerability factors to stop smoking (tobacco or cannabis) compared to patients with atheromatous arteritis.