Clinical Manifestations in Behçet's Diseased Patients: Is It Affected by Disease Activity?

Background:  Behçet's disease (BD) can affect both tiny and large blood vessels. However, there are scant reports on the relationship between clinical features and illness progression in Egyptian BD patients. Objective: To examine the connection between clinical symptoms and disease progression in patients diagnosed with Behçet's disease.
Patients and methods: A total of 36 BD patients were included in the current study. They were all diagnosed in accordance with the International Study Group for Behçet's Disease criteria and recruited from the outpatient clinics and inpatient Department of Rheumatology, Rehabilitation, and Physical Medicine at Assiut University Hospital, Egypt. Disease activity was assessed using Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF). The patients were categorized into two groups, 18 with active BD and 18 with inactive BD, using the BDCAF. Medical history and physical examination were done for all participants in the study.
Results: The median age of the studied participants was 37 years (range 20-52 years), with high male predominance as we found that, out of 36 studied BD patients; 30 (83.3%) were males and 6 (16.7%) were females. Median BDCAF was 4 (range 2–5). Mouth ulceration, arthritis, and arthralgia were the most common clinical manifestations among the studied cases documented in 18 (50.0%) cases, followed by headache in 15 (41.7%) cases, then genital ulceration in 14 (38.9%) cases, and red painful eye in 14 (38.9%) cases. Muco-cutaneous manifestations (mouth and genital ulcerations), erythema, blackout, and active CNS events were more prevalent among patients with active BD (P<0.05, for all). Conclusion: Clinical manifestations may be useful indicators of Behçet's disease progression, according to the results of the current investigation. Mucocutaneous, ocular, and central nervous system symptoms, as well as disease activity, may indicate a poor prognosis.