[Ocular manifestations of Behçet's disease]

Behçet's disease is a systemic inflammatory disease. Ocular involvement is an important diagnostic criterion, and this disease may be associated with severe visual loss.

The goal of this study was to specify the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic features of ocular involvement in patients with Behçet's disease and to identify risk factors for poor visual outcomes.

A retrospective study was performed in 93 patients diagnosed with ocular Behçet's disease over a period of 9 years. Epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic data was obtained from medical records and analyzed retrospectively. Poor visual outcome was defined as visual acuity limited to light perception without projection or no light perception.

The male:female ratio was 1.9. The mean age was 34.5 years. Ocular involvement was the presenting sign in 4%, bilateral in 61% and active in 68.8%. Uveitis was the most common presentation (57%), dominated by panuveitis, followed by retinal vasculitis (51.6%) and papilledema (10.7%). Maculopathy (26.8%) and cataract (18.2%) were the most common complications. Twenty patients (21.5%) had no light perception or light perception without projection. Treatment was based on corticosteroids in combination with immunosuppressive therapy (Azathioprine) in 55.9% of cases. Our study indicates a significant association of male gender and panuveitis with a poor visual outcome.

Ocular involvement in Behçet's disease is frequent and serious, which may lead to blindness. Male gender and panuveitis were predictors of poor visual prognosis.