Thrombosis in Behçet's disease: a retrospective survey from a single UK centre.
OBJECTIVE
To contribute to knowledge of vascular occlusion in Behçet's disease (BD), prevalence and relative risk for thrombosis were ascertained retrospectively in a cohort of Caucasian patients with the disease.


METHODS
The study included 73 BD patients (36 males, 37 females, mean age 45+/-11 yr) attending the Immunology/Rheumatology Department of Northwick Park Hospital. A group of 146 patients without BD, attending the same department, served as a control group.


RESULTS
Thrombosis was more frequent in BD patients than in controls (23/73, 32% vs 7/146, 5%, P<0.001). This was accounted for by a higher prevalence of venous thrombosis in BD patients (18/73, 25% vs 4/146, 3%, P<0.001). Gender-adjusted data revealed an 11-fold risk of developing any thrombosis and a 14-fold risk of developing venous thrombosis in BD. After adjusting for differences in age at first symptoms, male BD patients showed a 6-fold higher risk of vein thrombosis. Males reported more often thrombophlebitis (13/36, 36% vs 0/0, P<0.001), folliculitis (8/36, 22% vs 1/37, 3%, P<0.01) and retinal vasculitis (13/36, 36%, vs 4/37, 11%, P=0.01) than females, in whom arthralgia prevailed (23/37, 62%, vs 12/36, 33%, P=0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
In our population, BD confers a 14-fold risk of developing venous thrombosis. The risk is sixfold higher in male BD patients, who fare worse than females with regard to thrombophlebitis, folliculitis and retinal vasculitis.
Ames
P R
PR
Department of Rheumatology, Northwick Park Hospital, London, UK.
Steuer
A
A
Pap
A
A
Denman
A M
AM
D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006113:United Kingdom