title: Peripheral neuropathy in Behçet disease: an electroneurophysiological study.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the peripheral nerve involvement electrophysiologically in Behçet patients without clinically evident neurological signs and symptoms. Sixty-three patients who fulfilled the International Study Group Classification Criteria for Behçet's disease (BD) and 49 healthy control subjects were enrolled to the study. Conventional electrophysiological studies of peripheral nerves including F latencies were performed to all subjects. Thirty-one male and 32 female Behçet patients with a mean age of 33.6+/-11.1 years and (22 male and 27 female healthy control subjects with a mean age of 35.8+/-9.9 years were included to the study. All but four of the patients were active. In the BD group, electrophysiologically diagnosed neuropathy was detected in nine (14.28%) patients. One (1.58%) patient had sensorimotor polyneuropathy, one patient (1.58%) had sural and ulnar sensorimotor neuropathy, three (4.75%) patients had median and one patient (1.58%) had ulnar sensorimotor neuropathy. Sural nerve sensorial action potential was unobtainable in two (3.17%) patients and prolonged F latencies were observed in two (3.17%) patients. In the control group only one subject (2.4%) had low sural sensorial conduction velocity. The frequency of neuropathy was higher in the patients with BD when compared with the control subjects. Sensory nerves were affected more prominently than motor nerves. There was no relationship between the clinical and laboratory characteristics of the patients and the electrophysiologic findings. No significant difference was observed between the clinical parameters of the patients with and without electrophysiologically detected neuropathy, except the levels of disease duration (8.8+/-5.1 vs 5.28+/-4.3 years, respectively, p<0.05). In conclusion, Behçet patients may have subclinical peripheral nerve involvement. Conventional electrophysiologic nerve conduction studies including F responses are recommended in routine examination to diagnose early neuropathy in Behçet patients without evident neurologic symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Department, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Birlik Mah. 14. sok 36/23, Cankaya Ankara, 06610, Turkey. laleakbulut@gmail.com
authors.forename: Lale
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Akbulut
authors.forename: Gunes
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gur
authors.forename: Hatice
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bodur
authors.forename: Nuran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alli
authors.forename: Pinar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology