Behcet Disease

Synonyms

BD

Definition

Was named in 1937 after the Turkish dermatologist Hulusi Behçet, who first described the triple-symptom complex of recurrent oral aphthous ulcers, genital ulcers, and uveitis. This complex, multisystemic disease includes involvement of the mucocutaneous, ocular, cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, urologic, and central nervous systems and the joints, blood vessels, and lungs. It is characterized by oral aphthae and by at least two of the following: (i) genital aphthae, (ii) synovitis, (iii) posterior uveitis, (iv) cutaneous pustular vasculitis, (v) meningoencephalitis, (vi) recurrent genital ulcers, and (vii) uveitis in the absence of inflammatory bowel disease or collagen vascular disease. The cause of BD is not known; however, immunogenetics, immune regulation, vascular abnormalities, or bacterial and viral infection may have a role in its development.