Clinical features

The clinical features of Behcet's disease comprise (1,2):

• arthritis: occurs in 45% of cases, frequently the presenting feature long before other clinical manifestations (2)
  • polyarthritis
  • polyarthralgia of large joints – knees and ankles most involved
• mucocutaneous:
  • painful oral, vulval, vaginal, penile and scrotal ulcers which heal by scarring
  • erythema nodosum
  • pseudofolliculitis, papulopustular lesions
  • acneiform nodules
• ocular:
  • iridocyclitis
  • chronic, relapsing bilateral non-granulomatous uveitis
    • may involve anterior, posterior or both (panuveitis)
  • hypopyon
  • optic atrophy
  • cataract
  • glaucoma
  • retinal detachment
• neurologic:
  • multiple sclerosis and parkinsonism-like disorders
  • dementia
  • meningoencephalitis and brainstem problems
  • Neurobehcet’s disease – parenchymal lesion (2)
• others:
  • venous thrombosis
  • thrombophlebitis
  • abdominal pain – ileocecal region is most commonly affected
  • nausea, anorexia and diarrhoea
  • haemoptysis

Reference:

1. Nair JR, Moots RJ. Behcet’s disease. Clin Med (Lond). 2017 Feb;17(1):71-77. Doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.17-1-71. PMID: 28148585; PMCID: PMC6297594.
2. Greco A, De Virgilio A, Ralli M, Ciofalo A, Mancini P, Attanasio G, de Vincentiis M, Lambiase A. Behçet's disease: New insights into pathophysiology, clinical features and treatment options. Autoimmun Rev. 2018 Jun;17(6):567-575.