Behcet's disease seen in China: analysis of 334 cases

For the purpose of investigating Behcet's disease in China, all the patients diagnosed as Behcet's disease in our hospital during the past 2 years were recruited into the study. The clinical and laboratory data of the patients were recorded and further analyzed; 334 patients were included with 195 males and 139 females. The mean age at onset was 35.8 ± 11.1 years. The most frequent initial manifestations were oral aphthae and genital ulceration. The common manifestations observed throughout the disease course were oral aphthae, genital ulceration and various cutaneous lesions. Besides these, many organs/systems including joint, eye, vessel, gastrointestine, nervous system, cardiovascular system, and pulmonary system were also involved in 28.4, 26.1, 17.4, 16.8, 9.6, 8.1, and 4.8 % of our patients, respectively. Involvement of ocular and vascular was more common in males than in females. Behcet' disease most frequently affects the Chinese patients aged 30-39 and displays a wide clinical spectrum with varieties of severe internal organ involvement. The disease is more common and severe in males than in females in Chinese populations.