Intestinal Behçet syndrome: CT features of patients with and patients without complications.

PURPOSE

To analyze the computed tomographic (CT) features of intestinal Behçet syndrome and to determine the usefulness of CT in detecting complications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The CT scans of 28 patients with intestinal Behçet syndrome were retrospectively reviewed. Five patients had bowel perforation, and two had peritonitis. Patterns of bowel involvement, patterns of contrast enhancement, and ancillary findings were compared in patients with complications (n = 7) and patients without complications (n = 21).

RESULTS

Ten patients had polypoid lesions, nine had a thickened bowel wall, and nine had both findings. Lesion enhancement was mild in eight patients (29%) and marked in 20 (71%). Polypoid lesions were more commonly seen in patients without complications (P = .020); a thickened bowel wall was more commonly seen in patients with complications (P = .030). Seventeen of 18 patients (94%) with minimal perienteric infiltration did not have complications (P = .0003), whereas all five patients with severe perienteric infiltration did have complications.

CONCLUSION

In patients with known intestinal Behçet syndrome, CT can be useful in determining the extent of the lesions and in identifying cases in which complications are likely to occur.