Comparison of histopathologic and clinical evaluations of pathergy test in Behcet's disease

Background The pathergy test, an important test in the diagnosis of Behcet's disease, is currently applied with disposable/sharp needles and evaluated only clinically (no histopathologic evaluation). In this study, the usefulness of the pathergy test conducted intradermally and intravenously with disposable/sharp needles in the diagnosis and determination of the activation of the disease is studied in comparison with the test conducted with nondisposable/blunt needles. In addition, histopathologic evaluation of the pathergy test is compared with the clinical evaluation. Methods The study group consists of 43 Behcet's disease patients together with 15 patients with dermatosis as the control group. The pathergy test was applied to the Behcet's disease patients and the control group intradermally and intravenously with disposable/sharp and nondisposable/blunt needles. Results The results of the pathergy test on the patients and the control group were evaluated clinically and histopathologically. Conclusions Clinical evaluation of the pathergy test conducted intradermally with nondisposable/blunt needles is sufficient for both the diagnosis and determination of the activation of Behcet's disease. Histopathologic evaluation of the test is not found to be more sensitive than the clinical evaluation.