Demographic and clinical features of 521 Turkish patients with Behcet's disease

Background The aim of this study is to reveal demographic and clinical features of Behcet's disease (BD) in a Turkish population. Methods We retrospectively evaluated the clinical findings of 521 patients with BD. Results A total of 521 patients (287 female and 234 male) were included in this study. Onset signs: oral ulceration (72.7%) was followed by genital ulceration (3.1%), ocular involvement (1.0%), and erythema nodosum-like lesions (ENLL) (0.2%). In 120 patients (23%), the onset manifestation compromised more than one symptom. During follow-up, in females and males respectively, oral ulceration was found in 100%, genital ulceration in 90.9% and in 82.5%, papulopustular lesions in 52.6% and in 71.4%, positive pathergy test in 45.3% and in 48.7%, ENLL in 43.6% and in 31.6%, ocular involvement in 36.9% and in 58.1%, gastrointestinal involvement in 6.6% and in 5.6%, joint involvement in 4.2% and in 6.4%, vascular involvement in 1.7% and in 10.6%, neurological involvement in 0% and in 4.7% and pulmonary involvement in 0.7% and in 0.7%. Genital ulceration and ENLL were found to be statistically higher in females than males. Papulopustular lesions and ocular, neurological, and vascular involvement were significantly higher in males than females. Conclusions In our study, systemic involvement was higher in males than females, as the disease is more severe in males than females. As the only initial finding of the disease can be genital ulceration or ocular manifestations, gynecologists, urologists, ophthalmologists, and family practitioners must keep in mind BD as a differential diagnosis.