Clinical aspects of Behcet's syndrome in Brazil: a review of 16 cases.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of a series of patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS) seen at a referral centre for connective tissue diseases in Bahia, Brazil.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All the patients diagnosed as having BS by the criteria of the International Study Group for Behçet's Disease followed up by the Rheumatology Service of the Hospital Santa Izabel in the year 2007 were included in the study, and were submitted to a clinical evaluation.

RESULTS

Sixteen patients were studied, with an equal distribution between genders. Their ages ranged between 19 and 58 years (mean 35.6 +/- 12.9 years). The mean age at disease onset was 27.8 +/- 12.4 years. The clinical manifestations observed include oral ulcers in all cases, cutaneous lesions and articular involvement in 81.3% and genital ulcers in 75% of the patients. Regarding the cutaneous lesions, there were predominantly acneiform lesions (75%) and erythema nodosum (37.5%). Neurological features, including headache, were seen in 37.5% of the patients, and there were 68.8% of ophthalmologic manifestations. Vestibulocochlear symptoms were found in 50% with predominance of vertigo and hypoacusia. Superficial thrombophlebitis and deep venous thrombosis (12.5%) were the most frequent vascular manifestations. All the patients were treated with corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressant agents.

CONCLUSIONS

In the present series, it was observed that the spectrum of clinical manifestations of the disease did not differ from series arising in other countries.