Behçet’s disease prognosis favorable in nonendemic countries

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The prognosis for patients with Behçet’s disease is favorable with early diagnosis and proper therapy, according to a study. The incidence of the disease in western Switzerland is comparable to rates in other western nonendemic countries, the study authors found.

Researchers here at Hôpital Jules Gonin, La Source Eye Center and the University of Lausanne reviewed the records of 35 patients diagnosed with Behçet's disease over the course of 8 years. Of these, 25 had ocular involvement. The mean age of the group was 33.2 years; age at presentation was 25.8 years, and mean follow-up was 5.7 years. The most frequent sign was oral aphthous involvement (86%), followed by ocular manifestations (72%). The HLA-B51 antigen was present in 66% of the patients with ocular involvement. Panuveitis was present in 20 patients, anterior uveitis was present in three patients and posterior involvement occurred with two patients. Twenty-two patients had systemic treatment that always included corticosteroids; it was associated with other treatments in 17 of 22 patients.

Visual function was maintained at the end of follow-up in all patients, the study authors reported.

The study is published in the October issue of Ocular Immunology and Inflammation.