Behçet's disease (patient information)

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What is Behçet's disease?

How do I know if I have Behçet's disease and what are the symptoms of Behçet's disease?

Signs and symptoms of Behcet's disease vary from person to person, depending on the blood vessels affected. Many patients show multiple damages. Like other autoimmue diseases, signs and symptoms come and go.

Painful mouth sores: These are the most common sign of Behcet's disease. Mouth sores turn quickly from lesion to ulcers and heal in 7~21 days.
Skin lesions: Skin lesions in patients with Behçet's disease vary, from acne-like sores to red tender nodules.
Brain: When Behcet's disease affect brain, it leads to headache, fever, disorientation, poor balance, even stroke.
Digestive system: Patients with Behcet's disease may show symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea or bleeding.
Eyes: Behcet's disease may cause inflammation in the eye, such as uveitis.
Joints: Patients with Behçet's disease may have joint swelling and joint painwhen joints are affected with inflammination.
Vascular system: Inflammination may occur on veins and large arteries, leading redness, pain and swelling in the arms or legs, even aneurysms and narrowing or blockage of the vessel.
Genitals: Patients with Behcet's disease may develop sores on their genitals, feeling pain and leaving scars.

Who is at risk for Behçet's disease?

The underlying cause of Behçet’s disease is not clear. It is suggested that the following factors may be associated with the disease.

Genetic predisposition: Researches demonstrate that the presence of the gene HLA–B51 is a risk factor for Behçet's disease.
Age: Behçet's disease can affect people in any age, but the most common age is 20~30 years old.
Gender: Behcet's disease most commonly affects men than women.
Race: Behçet's disease is more common in Middle East and Japan then in other race. It is rare in America.

How to know you have Behçet's disease?

Mdical history and physical examination
Pathergy test: During this procedure, the nurse pricks the skin of the forearm with a sterile needle. After 24~48 hours, a red nodule or pustule greater than two millimeters in diameter suggests positive and Behcet's syndrome.
Skin biopsy: Skin biopsy is used to diagnose a skin condition such as a rash and exclude skin cancer. During the procedure, the doctor takes a thin slice off the top of the skin and remove the lesions. Then, the pathologist can check the lesion under a microscope and identify the diagnosis.
Lumbar puncture: When your appear severe headache and head CT shows normal, the doctor may order this test to exclude other center nervous diseases of headache. During this procedure, the patient lies on the side, with knees pulled up toward the chest, and chin tucked downward. After injecting the anesthetic into the lower spine, the doctor insert a spinal needle into the lower back area to measure CSF pressure and collect a sample.
Brain MRI scan: A head MRI uses magnetic fields but it is a different type of image than what is produced by computed tomography (CT) and produces detailed images of the body. Like computed tomography (CT), a contrast agent may be injected into a patient’s vein to create a better picture. The doctor orders brain MRI to exclude other causes of headache of Behçet's disease.
Colonoscopy and biopsy: When the patient appear symptoms of digeative system, the doctor may order solonoscopy to exclude intestinal cancer. After you are sedated, a thin, flexible, lighted tube called endoscope is passed down your anus. Then the doctor can view the lining of your rectum and each section of your colon, up to ileocecal junction. If abnormal areas are noted, biopsies (tissue samples) can be obtained through the endoscope. The tissue samples will be checked by the pathologists under a microscope to see whether cancer is present or not.