[Behçet disease: study of 74 patients]

Behçet disease (BD) has a low prevalence in the Spanish population. Only a few reports have been published on the clinical features of BD in our country. The aim of this study is to determine the type and frequency of these features of BD in a population of patients in the Community of Valencia.

We retrospectively studied clinical data from patients with BD diagnosed between 1990 and 2005 in La Fe, General and Doctor Peset Universitary Hospitals. All Patients fulfilled the International Study Group Criteria for the diagnosis of BD. Statistical analysis was carried out using the chi2 test.

Seventy four patients (40 male and 34 female) were studied. The most frequent manifestations were oral (98.5%) and genital aphthae (82.4%), followed by cutaneous lesions (64.2%), ocular lesions (42.5%), fever (39.4%) and vascular manifestations (28.4%). Venous manifestations were more frequent than arterial events. Gastrointestinal lesions occurred more frequently in females compared with males (p = 0.002). Vascular and ocular manifestations were more severe in males than in females. With respect to cardiovascular risk factors, 32.4% of patients were smokers, 20.3% were hyperlipidemic, 19% hypertensive, 13.5% obese and 9.5%diabetic. Cardiovascular risk factors were not related to thrombotic events or posterior uveitis in these patients (p > 0.05).

BD in patients in the community of Valencia is characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations similar to other geographical areas. Gastrointestinal manifestations occur more frequently in female patients, and venous thrombotic manifestations were more frequent than arterial events. Cardiovascular risk factors do not seem to play a role in the development of thrombotic events and posterior uveitis in these patients.