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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffYour doctor will ask you about your signs and symptoms. No tests can confirm whether you have Buerger's disease. Instead, your doctor will likely order tests to rule out other more common conditions. These tests may include:
Blood tests
Blood tests to look for certain substances can rule out other conditions that may cause similar signs and symptoms. For instance, blood tests can help rule out scleroderma, lupus, blood clotting disorders and diabetes, along with other diseases and conditions.
The Allen's test
Your doctor may conduct a simple test called the Allen's test to check blood flow through the arteries carrying blood to your hands. In the Allen's test, you make a tight fist, which forces the blood out of your hand. Your doctor presses on the arteries at each side of your wrist to slow the flow of blood back into your hand, making your hand lose its normal color. Next, you open your hand and your doctor releases the pressure on one artery then the other. How quickly the color returns to your hand may give a general indication about the health of your arteries. Slow blood flow into your hand may indicate a problem, such as Buerger's disease.
Angiogram
An angiogram, also called an arteriogram, helps doctors see the condition of your arteries. Doctors inject dye into an artery and then take X-rays or other types of images. Images show any blockages in the artery. Your doctor may order arteriograms be performed on both of your arms and your legs — even if you don't have signs and symptoms of Buerger's disease in all of your limbs. Buerger's disease almost always affects more than one limb, so even though you may not have signs and symptoms in your other limbs, this test may detect early signs of vessel damage.
