Radiological findings in Behçet disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Radiology
• Immunology

Background:

• Behçet's disease is a multisystem inflammatory disorder.
• Neurological involvement (Neuro-Behçet) affects 5-30% of patients.
• Radiological assessment is crucial for diagnosing Neuro-Behçet.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the radiological signs of Neuro-Behçet disease.
• To characterize MRI findings in patients diagnosed with Behçet's disease.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 68 patients with Behçet's disease from January 2004 to December 2011.
• Utilized 1.5T MRI with T2-weighted, FLAIR, and T1-weighted sequences (pre- and post-contrast).
• Analyzed parenchymal and vascular forms of Neuro-Behçet.

Main Results:

• 52 out of 68 patients (76%) showed MRI abnormalities.
• Parenchymal involvement was more common (52 cases) than vascular (12 cases).
• Commonly affected areas included the brainstem (44 cases), cerebral white matter (31 cases), and basal ganglia (30 cases).
• Cerebral peduncle and midbrain were frequently involved brainstem structures.
• Brainstem atrophy was observed in 18 cases.
• Follow-up MRIs in 4 cases showed changes in lesion size and shape.

Conclusions:

• MRI is highly effective in detecting neurological abnormalities in Behçet's disease.
• Neuro-Behçet disease predominantly manifests with parenchymal lesions, particularly affecting the brainstem and white matter.
• Radiological findings correlate with the clinical presentation of Neuro-Behçet disease.