Neurological Mysteries of Behcet's Disease Through Rheumatologist's Eyes

The aim of this study was to describe the frequency, locations, and neurological symptoms in Behcet's patients to contribute to the understanding of the complexity of Neuro-Behcet's disease (NBD). A total of 187 patients diagnosed with Behcet's disease (BD) over five years were retrospectively examined. The gender of those with neurological involvement, areas of involvement seen on imaging, neurological symptoms, demographics, and treatments used were documented. Among the patients, 163 had no neurological involvement, and 24 were diagnosed with NBD. The frequency of neurological involvement was 12.8%. Among the neurological symptoms, headache was the most common (41%). No statistically significant relationship was found between neurological involvement and age, the year of BD diagnosis, gender, or HLA-B51 positivity. A statistically significant relationship was observed between vascular and neurological involvement (p <0.05). In areas where BD is common, young male patients presenting with headache and accompanying neurological symptoms should also be evaluated for NBD. Key Words: Behcet's disease, Neuro-Behcet's disease, Neurological involvement.