Cardiac involvement of Behcet's disease in children: a single-center study from Turkey

Cardiac involvement such as intracardiac thrombosis, valve insufficiency, and myocardial infarction may, though rarely, develop in Behçet's disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics and predictors of cardiac involvement in Behçet's disease in children. It also aimed to investigate the effect of sex on Behçet's disease and cardiac involvement. This retrospective descriptive analytical study was conducted in patients under 18 years of age who were diagnosed with Behcet's disease. Clinical, laboratory, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings of the patients were obtained from electronic medical records. Ninety patients with Behçet's disease were included in the study. Of the patients, 50 (53.8%) were female and the median age at the diagnosis time was 15 (2-18) years. Cardiac involvement was observed in 14 of 90 Behçet's disease patients and valvulitis was the most common involvement. Intracardiac thrombus was detected in 4 (4.3%) patients: two in the right ventricle, one in the right atrium, and one in the left atrium. The probability of intracardiac thrombus was higher in younger patients and in those who had increased levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and platelets (PLT) at the time of diagnosis. The risk of intracardiac thrombus development was 13 times higher in patients with erythema nodosum (95% CI = 1.32-127,7).Conclusions: The most common cardiac manifestations of Behçet's disease in children are valvulitis and intracardiac thrombus. Younger age, increased ESR and PLT, and the presence of erythema nodosum may alert the clinician to the possibility of intracardiac thrombus. Sex has not been shown to have an effect on cardiac involvement.