Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans) predominantly affects young male smokers. The diagnostic criteria require all of the following EXCEPT:

• A Age of onset below 50 years
• B Current or recent tobacco use
• C Distal limb ischaemia with angiographic segmental involvement of small and medium vessels
• D Elevated CRP and ESR with autoantibody positivity ✓

Explanation

The Shionoya diagnostic criteria for Buerger's disease include: onset before age 50, current or recent tobacco use, infrapopliteal or infraradial arterial occlusive disease, absence of proximal embolic source or atherosclerosis risk factors other than smoking, and consistent pathological findings. Inflammatory markers (CRP, ESR) may be mildly elevated but there are no diagnostic autoantibodies; autoantibody positivity would suggest a connective tissue disorder instead.

Reference: Bailey & Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.