title: Arterial thrombosis leading to intestinal infarction in a patient with Behçet's disease associated with protein C deficiency.
abstract: Behçet's disease may be a possible cause of both occlusive and aneurysmal arterial involvement as well as recurrent venous thrombosis. A case of Behçet's disease complicated with vascular involvement leading to intestinal infarction is presented. A 41-yr-old man suffering from Behçet's disease for 15 yr presented with a 2-day history of severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Intestinal infarction secondary to thrombosis of the superior mesenteric artery had been diagnosed during surgical exploration 3 yr previously. He was started on anticoagulation with nutritional support. The patient was readmitted with severe diarrhea and malabsorption symptoms 3 yr after intestinal resection. A thrombus located in the posterior wall of the infrarenal portion of aorta was detected by aortography and ultrasonography. Although thrombosis is a relatively common complication of Behçet's disease caused by vasculitis, protein C deficiency, which is a pertinent laboratory finding in this case, might be a secondary factor in the thrombotic event. This is the first case reported of mesenteric artery thrombosis leading to bowel infarction and abdominal aorta thrombosis associated with protein C deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hacettepe University, School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bayraktar
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Soylu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Balkanci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gedikoğlu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cakmakçi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sayek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D001027:Aortography; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007238:Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D020151:Protein C Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D014463:Ultrasonography