Treatment of Behçet's disease

Behçet's disease is characterized with multifactorial etiopathogenesis and multiclinical pictures. The treatment of patients with Behçet's disease is based on the severity of illness, and the most appropriate management of Behçet's disease requires a multidisciplinary approach. Although various therapeutic modalities have been employed for Behçet's disease, treatment is far from satisfactory. Treatment of Behçet's disease includes local, systemic, or surgical therapies. Limited success has been found with colchicine, azathioprine, indomethacin, cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, levamisole, transfer factor, fibrinolytic therapy, and systemic corticosteroid. New therapeutic approaches have been introduced for Behçet's disease using cyclosporine, thalidomide, interferon, acyclovir, high-dose corticosteroids or cyclophosphamide pulse therapy, and FK 506. We suggest that therapeutic agents should be selected after thorough evaluation of the immune state of each patient by using various tests and by determining any aggravating or provoking factors involved. In general, a combination-agent regimen is more effective than a single-agent regimen. Early diagnosis and proper treatment can inhibit or at lease slow the progress of the disease remarkably.