title: Neurotological status in Behçet's disease and its ophthalmological correlates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess neurotological status and its ophthalmological correlates in Behçet's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study in which 17 patients with Behçet's disease and 13 healthy controls were included.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients were divided into two groups: those with and without end stage ocular involvement. Neurotological status was evaluated with audiological tests (pure tone and speech audiometry, tympanometry, short increment sensitivity index, tone decay, and evoked response audiometry), and Dix-Halpike positional testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positional test was normal. The audiological test results of the patients with and without end stage ocular involvement were not significantly different (p>0.05). A sloping audiogram with bilateral symmetric and mild sensorineural hearing loss was the main audiogram obtained. There was no relationship between the presence or absence of the end stage ocular involvement and the otological parameters studied excluding I-III interval on evoked response audiometry (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the main underlying pathogenetic factor in Behçet's disease is the autoimmune vasculitis, the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of neurological and ocular damage may be different. Alternatively, the differential involvement of certain organ systems may not reflect the nature of the disease process itself, but rather the manner in which each organ responds to injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Turkey. bayazity@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Bayazit
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Evereklioğlu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozer
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kirtak
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bayazit
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanlikama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inalöz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001299:Audiometry / Q000379:methods; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D038781:Otoscopy / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology*