Causes And Complications Of Vasculitis

Smoking

A regular smoker may develop a certain form of vasculitis as a result of their lifestyle choices. The most common type of vasculitis regular smokers are known to develop is referred to as Berger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans). Most individuals who develop Berger's disease use tobacco products or smoke cigarettes. The pathogenesis of Berger's disease is not currently known, but it is thought that the chemicals in the tobacco products used by an affected individual produce irritation in the linings of the blood vessels that feed the tissues of the peripheral digits. Another theory that may explain the development of Berger's disease in individuals who use tobacco products is that substances in these products induce an abnormal and upregulated attack by the immune system on the cells that form the lining of the blood vessels. The inflamed blood vessel linings in the peripheral digits produce swelling and cause the formation of small blood clots that restrict the proper flow of blood to these tissues. The result of this vasculitis process is often the development of gangrene and amputation.

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