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Vascular involvement in Behçet's disease: a retrospective analysis of 2319 cases
Rifkiye Sarica-Kucukoglu1, Afet Akdag-Kose, Murat KayabalI
1Department of Dermatology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. rsarica@istanbul.edu.tr
Insights
Vascular involvement, particularly superficial vein thrombophlebitis, is common in Behçet
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Vascular Medicine
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Vascular lesions can be an early indicator of Behçet's disease (BD).
- Understanding vascular involvement is crucial for early BD diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and types of vascular involvement in Behçet's disease.
- To analyze the characteristics of vascular manifestations in BD patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 332 Behçet's disease patients with vascular involvement.
- Data collected from 2319 BD patients diagnosed by International Study Group criteria.
Main Results:
- Vascular involvement occurred in 14.3% of BD patients, predominantly in males (5.26:1 ratio).
- Superficial vein thrombophlebitis (53.3%) was most common, followed by deep vein thrombosis (29.8%); arterial lesions were rare (3.6%).
- Vascular lesions presented as the initial sign in 2.1% and co-occurred with other symptoms in 4.7% of cases.
Conclusions:
- Young males with vascular involvement should be evaluated for Behçet's disease, especially in high-prevalence regions like Turkey.
- Early recognition of vascular signs aids in timely Behçet's disease diagnosis and management.
Background:
Vascular lesions can be the presenting sign of Behçet's disease (BD) preceding classical symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and types of vascular involvement in BD.
Methods:
Among 2319 patients diagnosed with BD according to the criteria of the International Study Group for BD, 332 patients (279 male, 53 female) with vascular involvement were included in this study.
Results:
Prevalence of vascular involvement was 14.3%. Vascular involvement was found to be more common in males (P<0.001, male:female ratio 5.26:1). Mean age at onset of vascular involvement was 30.58+/-7.88. Vascular lesion was the presenting sign of BD in 50 patients (2.1%), whereas in 109 patients (4.7%) it started together with other clinical symptoms at the age of diagnosis. Superficial vein thrombophlebitis (SVT) was the most common vascular symptom (53.3%) followed by deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (29.8%). Arterial lesions were rare (3.6%). Of the patients 13.3% had more than one type of vascular involvement. Lower extremities were the most frequent localization in patients with SVT, whereas the femoral vein was mainly involved in patients with DVT and the pulmonary artery was mainly involved in the patients with arterial lesions.
Conclusion:
In countries like Turkey where BD is more frequent, young male patients presenting with vascular involvement should be evaluated for BD.