BACKGROUND/AIMS: Anemia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease significantly affects the quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of and risk factors for anemia and to describe the management of anemia in patients with intestinal Behcet's disease (BD) in actual clinical practice. METHODS: We included 64 patients with intestinal BD who visited the outpatient clinic of a tertiary referral center in June 2011 and had available laboratory data for the subsequent 6 months. RESULTS: Anemia was detected in 26 patients (40.6%). After 6 months, anemia was still present in 14 of these patients (53.8%). The cause of anemia was investigated in eight patients (30.8%), and oral iron supplementation was prescribed to four patients (15.4%). Of these four patients, two (50%) recovered completely within 6 months. Anemia was associated with a high Disease Activity Index for Intestinal Behcet's Disease (DAIBD, p=0.024), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p=0.003), and C-reactive protein (p=0.049) in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, the factor predictive for anemia in patients with intestinal BD was a higher DAIBD (> or =40; odds ratio, 4.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.21 to 13.71; p=0.023). CONCLUSIONS: Although anemia is common in intestinal BD patients, its clinical importance is overlooked in daily practice. Moderate to severe disease activity is predictive of anemia.
Adult ; Anemia/drug therapy/epidemiology/*etiology ; Behcet Syndrome/blood/*complications/pathology ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis ; Dietary Supplements ; Disease Management ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases/blood/*complications/pathology ; Iron/therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Risk Factors ; Severity of Illness Index ; Trace Elements/therapeutic use

No abstract available.
Adult ; Behcet Syndrome/*complications/diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Optic Disk/*pathology ; Optic Neuritis/diagnosis/*etiology ; Time Factors ; Visual Acuity

We report the case of a 41-year-old Chinese woman with Behçet's disease (BD) complicated by acute myocardial infarction, requiring inotropic and ventilatory support. Angiography showed critical left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis, a blocked left subclavian artery and left carotid artery stenosis. The patient was successfully treated with a high dose of immunosuppressants, standard anti-ischaemic therapy and percutaneous coronary intervention. Although life-threatening, coronary arteritis is a treatable manifestation of BD. We suggest that the diagnosis of coronary arteritis be considered in patients with BD who present with chest pain. Involvement of other arteries should also be looked out for in these patients.
Adult ; Angiography ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Arterial Occlusive Diseases ; physiopathology ; Arteritis ; physiopathology ; Behcet Syndrome ; complications ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction ; complications ; Inflammation ; physiopathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Myocardial Infarction ; complications ; Prednisolone ; therapeutic use ; Subclavian Artery ; pathology ; physiopathology

PURPOSE: Behcet's disease (BD) theoretically affects all sizes and types of blood vessels and results in multi-organ involvement. However, renal BD has not been fully characterized, though the kidneys are histologically rich in blood vessels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 2007 patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for BD were enrolled in this study. We reviewed the medical records and test results of the BD patients and used univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to determine the clinical significance of renal involvement in BD. RESULTS: Among the 2007 BD patients, we noted hematuria in 412 (20.5%) and proteinuria in 29 (1.4%). Univariate analysis showed that the BD patients with hematuria were predominantly female and older, had higher erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESRs), and more frequently presented with genital ulcerations. BD patients with proteinuria had higher ESR levels compared to BD patients without proteinuria. In the multivariate analysis, age, sex, and ESR were found to be significantly associated with hematuria in BD patients, whereas only ESR was associated with proteinuria in BD patients. We also found that IgA nephropathy was the most common pathologic diagnosis in 12 renal BD patients who underwent renal biopsies. CONCLUSION: We suggest that routine urinalysis and serum renal function tests be performed for the early detection of renal BD, especially in older female BD patients with recurrent hematuria, high ESR levels, and frequent genital ulcers, as well as in BD patients with proteinuria and high ESR levels.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Behcet Syndrome/*complications/epidemiology/*metabolism ; Biopsy ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA/complications/diagnosis ; Hematuria/complications/diagnosis ; Humans ; Kidney/*pathology ; Kidney Diseases/*diagnosis ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Proteinuria/complications/diagnosis ; Republic of Korea ; Young Adult

Adult ; Behcet Syndrome ; complications ; Female ; Heart Atria ; pathology ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; complications ; Pericardial Effusion ; complications

We report an unusual case of unilateral frosted branch angiitis associated with Behcet's disease, including a review of previously reported cases. A 39-year-old male with history of recurrent oral and genital ulcers presented with visual loss in his left eye. Fundus findings demonstrated occlusive retinal vasculitis resembling acute frosted branch angiitis. Laboratory examinations including viral markers revealed no abnormal findings except positive HLA-B51. The patient was treated with systemic steroid and cyclosporine. Six months after presentation, new oral ulcers and pseudofolliculitis appeared, and he was diagnosed with Behcet's disease following rheumatology consultation. During follow-up, there was no change in visual acuity of hand movement, and disc neovascularization developed even after complete panretinal photocoagulation. Ocular manifestations of Behcet's disease can present as unilateral frosted branch angiitis, and may consecutively involve in both eyes. Early immunosuppressive treatment is recommended.
Adult ; Behcet Syndrome/*complications/diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Fundus Oculi ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Retinal Artery/*pathology ; Retinal Vasculitis/diagnosis/*etiology

No abstract available.
Adult ; Behcet Syndrome/complications/*diagnosis ; Colon/blood supply/pathology/surgery ; Colonoscopy ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/*diagnosis/etiology/surgery ; Humans ; Ileum/blood supply/surgery ; Male ; Rectum/blood supply/surgery

Behcet's disease is a multisystemic inflammatory disease characterized with recurrent oral ulcer, genital ulcer, and multiple organ involvement. Aplastic anemia is one of the rarest complications of Behcet's disease. There were only several reports about Behcet's disease associated myelodysplatic syndrome worldwide. Moreover, aplastic anemia in intestinal Behcet's disease was rarely reported. Here, we present a case of aplastic anemia with trisomy 8 and trisomy 9 in intestinal Behcet's disease and a review of the literatures. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case ever reported in Korea.
Adult ; Anemia, Aplastic/complications/*diagnosis ; Behcet Syndrome/complications/*diagnosis/genetics ; Bone Marrow/pathology ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases/complications/*diagnosis/genetics ; Karyotyping ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; *Trisomy

Behcet's disease (BD) has been recognized as multi-systemic chronic vasculitic disorder of recurrent inflammation, characterized by the involvement of multiple organs and resulting in orogenital ulcers, uveitis, and skin lesions. Involvement of the central nervous system, vessels, and intestines in BD often leads to a poor prognosis. Digestive manifestations in BD have been reported in up to 1-60% of cases, although the rate varies in different countries. The most frequent extra-oral sites of gastrointestinal involvement are the ileocecal region and the colon. Gastric or esophageal involvement is reported to be very rare. Moreover, there have been no reports on the simultaneous involvement of the esophagus, stomach, ileum, and colon. Here, we present a 55-year-old Korean man with intestinal BD and multiple ileal and colonic ulcerations complicated by perforation, gastric ulcer with bleeding followed by perforation, and esophageal ulcers with bleeding.
Behcet Syndrome/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Cecal Diseases/complications/pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Gastrointestinal Diseases/complications/*diagnosis ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intestinal Perforation/*diagnosis/etiology/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptic Ulcer Perforation/pathology ; Stomach Ulcer/complications/pathology

Arterial and cardiac involvement of Behcet's disease is a rare but life threatening complication. The rupture of an arterial aneurysm might result in sudden death. We report a 54-year-old man with an established diagnosis of Behcet's disease who presented with multiple cardiovascular complications that eventually lead to his death. He presented with extensive venous occlusions, and sequentially developed right ventricular thrombosis with multiple pulmonary thromboembolisms, and a pulmonary artery aneurysm. We report this unusual sequence of cardiovascular complications in a patient with Behcet's disease.
Aneurysm, Dissecting/*etiology ; Behcet Syndrome/*complications ; Cardiovascular Diseases/diagnosis/*etiology/ultrasonography ; Fatal Outcome ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Artery/*pathology ; Pulmonary Embolism/*etiology ; Risk Factors ; Rupture/etiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed