Inpatient treatment of severe nicotine dependence in a patient with thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease).

Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO), or Buerger's disease, is an inflammatory, occlusive, and nonatherosclerotic vascular disease that most commonly affects small and medium-sized arteries and veins. The association between tobacco use and the development of TAO is incontestable; however, a substantial number of patients with TAO continue to use tobacco despite progression of disease and amputation. Herein we describe a patient with advanced TAO whose severe, refractory nicotine dependence was successfully treated in a specialized nicotine-dependence inpatient program. After cessation of smoking, the patient's disease stabilized. Inpatient nicotine-dependence treatment may represent an alternative for recidivist smokers with severe tobacco-related disease.

[Peculiarities of physical therapy in endangiitis obliterans]. / Besonderheiten der Physiotherapie bei der Endangiitis obliterans.

The particularities of the physiotherapy in the obliterating endangiitis in the framework of the treatment of arterial occlusive diseases consist in the differentiated selection of the remedies of physiotherapy and their adequate, i.e. often slight dosage. The interval at stage I and II after Fontaine free of inflammation should be used. The physiotherapy of the obliterating endangiitis possesses adjuvant character and thus supplements the reasonable polypragmasy of the whole concept of therapy.