Related Experiment Videos
[Arterial complications of Behcet's disease. Report of 13 cases]
Insights
Arterial complications, including aneurysms and occlusions, are less common but serious in Behçet
Area of Science:
- Vascular Medicine
- Rheumatology
- Immunology
Background:
- Behçet's disease commonly involves venous thrombosis.
- Arterial manifestations, though less frequent, include aneurysms and occlusions.
Observation:
- This study analyzed 13 cases of Behçet's disease with arterial complications over 11 years.
- The mean age was 41 years, with a 5.8-year delay from disease onset to arterial complications.
- Most arterial lesions (11/18) occurred in the femoropopliteal axis, with femoral artery involvement in 7 cases.
Findings:
- Aneurysms were the predominant arterial lesion, particularly in the femoropopliteal region.
- Aorta and internal carotid artery lesions were also observed.
- Post-operative complications included one death and four thrombi, with three requiring reoperation.
Implications:
- Behçet's disease poses a significant risk of severe arterial complications.
- Long-term surveillance is crucial for managing patients with Behçet's disease and arterial involvement.
- Surgical intervention is common, but carries risks of mid-term complications.
Abstract:
Vascular involvement, usually venous thrombosis, is common in Behçet's disease. Arterial manifestations, usually aneurysms or more rarely occlusion, are less common. We analyzed 13 cases of Behçet's disease with arterial complications. This fourth series in the literature was collected over 11 years. There were 12 men and 1 woman, mean age 41 +/- 7 years. Mean delay to arterial complications was 5.8 years (maximum 20 years) after the first sign of the disease. In the 13 patients in our series, there were a total of 18 arterial lesions, including one aneurysm and one stenosis of the internal carotid artery. There were 2 cases (10%) with lesions of the aorta (aneurysms). Approximately half of the arterial lesions (7/18) involved the femoral artery. There were 11 localizations on the femoropopliteal axis (11 aneurysms). One aneurysm of the humeral artery was the only localization in the upper limb. Vascular involvement was limited to arterial lesions in 9/13 patients with multiple lesions at different localizations in 2 patients. In two others, a second arterial localization occurred secondarily. All patients except one were operated. Mid-term complications are: 1 death and 4 thrombi including 3 with good results after reoperation. In these patients with Behçet's disease, risk of severe complications is important, requiring long-term surveillance.