title: Recurrent versus non-recurrent or no eye involvement in Behcet's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to note the clinical features of patients with Behçet's disease who did not show recurrent episodes of eye involvement during long-term follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was made of 70 Japanese patients with Behçet's disease who were seen during a 23-year period from 1974 to 1996 and followed for five or more years at Okayama University Hospital. The 70 patients were divided into three groups: 36 patients with recurrent episodes of eye involvement; 13 patients with non-recurrent one-time only eye involvement; and 21 patients with no eye involvement at all during a follow-up period of five or more years. Clinical features were compared between these three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Female sex (p = 0.0263, chi-square test), young age at the onset (p = 0.0322, Kruskal-Wallis test), and genital ulceration (p = 0.0003, chi-square test) were significantly associated with the non-recurrent or no eye involvement patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female patients with onset at a young age and who show the three signs of skin lesions and oral and genital ulcerations may have non-recurrent one-time only or no eye involvement at follow-up. A better visual prognosis can be expected for these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry Okayama City Japan. matsuot@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itami
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000175:diagnosis; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014456:Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis