Abstract

MANAGMENT OF BUERGER’S DISEASE BY LEECH APPLICATION: A CASE STUDY

*Dr. Chakor Vinayak Somnath PG Scholar MS(Shalya), Dr. Kulkarni Ashutosh S. MD(Shalya), Dr. Dhanokar Chandrakant Arun MS(Shalya)

Abstract

Buerger’s disease is a chronic, nonatherosclerotic segmental inflammatory disease, also called as Thrombo – Angitis obliterance (TAO). TAO is of the cause of chronic lower limb ischemia or CLI (chronic limb ischemia). The exact cause of TAO is still not known but smoking is strongly associated with disease course and progression, so called as smokers disease. Symptoms includes severe cramps like pain in affected limb during walking (ischemic pain also called intermittent claudication ), rest pain, gangrenous patches of skin, gangrene of distal part like toes, non healing deep painful ulcer at the most distal part of the body like tip of toes, coldness of limb, colour changes from pale, reddish to blue, loss of hairs, dry bristal nails. Modern management of this disease includes conservative with use of vasodilators, pentoxyfylline and low dose aspirin. Surgical management includes lumbar sympathectomy, omentoplasty, and if gangrenous stage is there then amputation is the choice. Conservative amputation of gangrenous toe is done. Treatment is bessicaly aimed at reliving pain, healing of ulcer if present, & stopping progress of disease. In Ayurveda, the disease is not mentioned as it is but the features can be correlated with the strotodushti lakshanas like sanga and siranam granthi. The management included leech therapy, Kaishor guggulu and Guduchighan vati orally along with modern treatment regimes. All these means gave satisfactory results and the patient was able to do his daily activities without any trouble.

Keywords: Buerger’s disease, leech therapy, Kaishor guggulu, Guduchighan vati.