Behçet's aortitis and aortic regurgitation: a report of two cases

Behçet's disease is a rare systemic vasculitis that may lead to neurologic complications and rare manifestations of aortitis and aortic regurgitation. We report 2 cases of Behçet's aortitis and aortic regurgitation. The first patient presented with acute stroke. Recognition of acute aortitis on echocardiography led to the diagnosis of vasculitis as the cause of the cerebral event. This case highlights the echocardiographic features of aortic root pathology from acute aortitis to subsequent aortic valve perforation. In both cases, severe aortic regurgitation necessitated aortic valve replacement. Both were complicated by valve dehiscence requiring reoperation, illustrating the postoperative morbidity in this inflammatory condition.