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Labyrinthine involvement in Behçet's syndrome.
L Pollak1, L M Luxon, D O Haskard
1Department of Neuro-Otology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
The Journal of Laryngology and Otology
|August 4, 2001
Summary
Neuro-otological abnormalities are common in Behçet
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Otolaryngology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Behçet's syndrome is a multisystemic inflammatory disorder with diverse clinical manifestations.
- Neuro-otological involvement is recognized but often underdiagnosed in Behçet's syndrome.
- Early detection of audiovestibular dysfunction can aid in diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of neuro-otological findings in patients with Behçet's syndrome.
- To assess the diagnostic utility of audiovestibular abnormalities in Behçet's syndrome.
Main Methods:
- Neuro-otological examination including auditory and vestibular function tests.
- Inclusion of 26 consecutive patients with definite or probable Behçet's syndrome.
- Unselected patient cohort for audiovestibular complaints.
Main Results:
- Auditory and/or vestibular abnormalities detected in 73% of patients.
- Peripheral lesions were more frequent than central lesions for both auditory (54%) and vestibular (38.5%) systems.
- Bilateral cochlear hearing impairment and unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction were most common.
Conclusions:
- Neuro-otological assessment reveals significant labyrinthine involvement in a substantial proportion of Behçet's syndrome patients.
- Audiovestibular lesions may serve as valuable diagnostic markers in the absence of specific diagnostic tests for Behçet's syndrome.