Non-pulmonary arterial involvement in Behçet's disease: a multicenter retrospective case series

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Rheumatology
• Immunology

Background:

• Arterial involvement is a severe complication in Behçet's disease (BD).
• Nonpulmonary arterial issues present unique clinical challenges.
• Understanding these manifestations is critical for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the characteristics of nonpulmonary arterial involvement in BD.
• To identify affected vessels, lesion types, and treatment outcomes.
• To evaluate the long-term prognosis of arterial complications in BD patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 65 BD patients.
• Review of clinical courses and interventions.
• Statistical analysis using Fisher's exact and t-test/Mann-Whitney U tests.

Main Results:

• Aneurysms (63.2%) and thrombosis (22.7%) were common, particularly in the aorta and femoral artery.
• 90.8% of affected patients were male.
• Successful outcomes were achieved in 82% of surgical/interventional cases, but a 15.3% relapse rate was observed.

Conclusions:

• Behçet's disease arterial involvement predominantly features aneurysms in males.
• Combined immunosuppressive therapy and surgical interventions are frequently necessary.
• Long-term surveillance and sustained treatment are essential due to the risk of recurrent arterial events.