The vascular manifestations of Behcet's disease: angiographic and CT findings

The purpose was to evaluate angiographic and CT manifestations of vascular Behcet's disease. The medical records of 64 patients with Behcet's disease, treated in our hospital during the last 4 years, were reviewed. 37 patients underwent angiography or CT in the symptomatic regions because of symptoms or clinical signs of vascular involvement by Behcet's disease. 33 (male:female ratio 28:5; mean age 35 years) of the 37 patients demonstrated vascular involvement, which was surgically proven (18 patients) or diagnosed on angiography (15 patients). Angiograms and CT images of these 33 patients were retrospectively analysed for lesion type, location, extent and other characteristic findings of vascular involvement. 12 patients had only venous lesions, 11 had only arterial lesions and 10 had both arterial and venous lesions. The major angiographic findings of vascular Behcet's disease were acute or chronic thrombosis in deep veins of the lower extremities (19 patients), in the inferior vena cava (4 patients) and in the superior vena cava (2 patients), pseudoaneurysms of large or medium sized arteries (11 patients), and occlusions/stenoses of distal run-off arteries (13 patients). Common CT findings were obliterated deep veins (8 patients) and non-calcified thickened aneurysmal walls (9 patients), with or without contrast enhancement. The combination of these angiographic and CT findings with clinical manifestations are helpful in distinguishing vascular Behcet's disease from other vasculitides.