title: The frequency of scarring after genital ulcers in Behçet's syndrome: a prospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although genital ulceration with or without scar formation is an important manifestation of Behçet's syndrome, formal data on the rate of genital scarring are lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study prospectively the frequency of genital scar formation after genital ulcers in patients with Behçet's syndrome. Methods One hundred and two patients (72 males and 30 females) with fresh genital ulcers presenting at a dedicated Behçet's syndrome outpatient clinic were followed for 6 weeks. The ulcer location, size, and frequency of scar formation were noted. All patients were treated with similar topical therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and ten genital ulcers were followed in both sexes. The rate of scar formation was 66.2% (102/154) in male patients and 60.7% (34/56) in female patients. When genital ulcers were stratified as a function of size, large genital ulcers (> or = 1 cm in diameter) developed scars more frequently than did smaller ulcers (< 1 cm). The rate of scar formation in male patients with large genital ulcers was 89.4% (59/66) and with small ulcers was 48.9% (43/88) (P < 0.001). In females, all 19 large ulcers healed with scarring, and the same was true for 40.5% (15/37) of the small ulcers (chi(2) = 18.61, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION About two-thirds of genital ulcers in Behçet's syndrome leave scars. The rate of scar formation depends on the ulcer size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. cemmat@superonline.com
authors.forename: M Cem
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mat
authors.forename: Nadir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goksugur
authors.forename: Burhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Engin
authors.forename: Sabahattin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yurdakul
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yazici
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000473:pathology; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology