Ischaemia of the index finger and thumb secondary to thrombosis of the radial artery in the anatomical snuffbox.

We report on nine patients who presented with spontaneous ischaemia of the index finger and thumb over an 11 year period. Arteriography revealed thrombosis of the radial artery in the region of the anatomical snuffbox with evidence of digital artery embolization in each. None had suffered direct trauma to the area or had a demonstrable proximal source for thrombus. While the cause of radial artery thrombosis in our patients in not entirely clear, local inflammation and/or systemic disease may predispose to this entity.