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Bone mineral density in patients with Behçet's disease
Ali Bicer1, Umit Tursen, Tamer Irfan Kaya
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mersin University School of Medicine, Mersin, Turkey. alibicer@mersin.edu.tr
Rheumatology International
|October 14, 2003
Summary
Bone mineral density in Behçet
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Immunology
- Bone Metabolism
Background:
- Behçet's disease is a multisystemic inflammatory disorder with unknown causes.
- It is characterized by oral/genital ulcers and uveitis, potentially causing blindness.
- Chronic nature and unclear etiology warrant investigation into associated conditions like bone density changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively investigate bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with Behçet's disease.
- To compare BMD between Behçet's disease patients and healthy controls.
- To explore correlations between BMD, disease duration, and age.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study including 35 Behçet's disease patients and 33 controls.
- Exclusion criteria: postmenopausal women and corticosteroid users.
- BMD measured using dual X-ray absorptiometry at lumbar spine and femur; data collected from 2000-2002.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in BMD were found between Behçet's disease patients and controls at the lumbar spine (P=0.15) or femur (P=0.82).
- BMD was not influenced by body mass index or disease duration.
- Age showed a positive correlation with BMD in Behçet's disease patients.
Conclusions:
- Bone mineral density in Behçet's disease patients is comparable to healthy individuals.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is needed for definitive conclusions.
- The study suggests BMD is not a primary concern in Behçet's disease management.