[Mucocutaneous involvement in Behçet's disease]

The mucocutaneous manifestations of Behçet's disease consist of recurrent buccal aphthous ulcers, mucocutaneous genital aphthous ulcers and cutaneous folliculitis and pseudo-folliculitis, nodular lesions particularly affecting the limbs, which have been recognised more recently. In the absence of any laboratory criteria, mucocutaneous lesions represent a fundamental diagnostic element, as they are almost constant, either right from the onset of the disease or during the course of the disease. Non-specific cutaneous hypersensitivity may also be an important element guiding the diagnosis. These manifestations are due to vasculitis, the fundamental anatomical lesion of Behçet's disease.