THE PREVALENCE AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF JAPANESE PATIENTS WITH BUERGER DISEASE (THROMBOANGIITIS OBLITERANS: TAO) were analyzed based on the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) database in 2009. A total of 129 new patients and 3639 patients in follow-up were selected according to the clinical criteria of TAO. The current number of patients with TAO in Japan is estimated at about 4000. The clinical course is relatively favorable, and the rates of limb morbidity and mortality were not completely discouraging.
Keywords: Buerger disease; Labour and Welfare database; Ministry of Health; clinical aspects; epidemiology; number of patients in Japan.