Behçet's disease in India: a dermatological perspective

Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic, recurrent, multi-system inflammatory disorder involving mucocutaneous (MC), ocular, intestinal, articular, vascular, urogenital and neurologic systems. BD occurs with a high prevalence in the Mediterranean population. There is scarcity of clinical data on BD from India with only three case series in the last two decades.

To study demographic profile, clinical manifestations and treatment outcome of patients with BD presenting to the dermatologic clinic in a tertiary hospital in north India.

Prospective analysis of all patients diagnosed to have BD between 1997 to 2011.

Twenty nine patients were diagnosed to have BD. The disease had a female preponderance (M:F = 1:3.8) with a mean age of disease onset of 27.4 (range 16-61) years. The prevalence of various MC and systemic manifestations are as follows: oral aphthae (100%), genital aphthae (93.1%), erythema nodosum (62%), papulopustular and acneiform lesions (31%), articular involvement (68.9%), ocular involvement (31%) and gastrointestinal (GI) involvement (3.4%) . Pathergy test positivity was observed in 31%. The treatment comprised of colchicine (16/29 patients), dapsone (7/29), dapsone with pentoxiphylline (3/29), systemic steroid (2/29), systemic steroid with methotrexate (1/29). Colchicine was effective and well tolerated in all patients.

The disease occurs in a much milder form in India and is primarily mucocutaneous and arthritic. A high index of suspicion in patients with MC lesions may result in early diagnosis, management and prevention of complications of BD. We suggest colchicine as an effective and safe therapeutic option for MC and joint involvement.