Radiologic and clinical findings of Behçet disease: comprehensive review of multisystemic involvement.
Behçet disease is a chronic, relapsing, systemic disorder of unknown etiology, characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers, uveitis, and other clinical manifestations in multiple organ systems. Although the diagnosis is made on the basis of the combination of typical clinical symptoms, radiologic findings of Behçet disease show characteristic features of its involvement in the gastrointestinal, neurologic, cardiovascular, and thoracic organ systems. In the gastrointestinal tract, Behçet disease may produce various types of ulcers in the esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestines, as well as deeply penetrating ulcerations in the ileocecal region, with frequently accompanying enteric fistulas. Neurologic involvement includes typical and atypical parenchymal neurobehcet disease, dural sinus thrombosis, cerebral arterial aneurysm, occlusion, dissection, and meningitis. Vascular involvement is divided into three subsets including venous occlusion, arterial occlusion, and arterial aneurysm. Cardiac manifestations include intracardiac thrombus, endomyocardial fibrosis, periaortic pseudoaneurysm, and rupture of the sinus of Valsalva. Manifestations of Behçet disease in the thorax include pulmonary arterial aneurysm, pulmonary arterial thromboembolism, thrombosis in the superior vena cava, pulmonary infarction, hemorrhage, and vasculitis of the pleura and pericardium. These various manifestations of Behçet disease respond to steroid treatment; however, one of the characteristics of Behçet disease is the high rate of complications and recurrence after surgery. Familiarity with its various radiologic and clinical characteristics is essential in making an accurate early diagnosis and for prompt treatment of patients with Behçet disease.
Chae
Eun Jin
EJ
Department of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Korea.
Do
Kyung-Hyun
KH
Seo
Joon Beom
JB
Park
Seong Hoon
SH
Kang
Joon-Won
JW
Jang
Yu Mi
YM
Lee
Jin Seong
JS
Song
Jae-Woo
JW
Song
Koun-Sik
KS
Lee
Jeong Hyun
JH
Kim
Ah Young
AY
Lim
Tae-Hwan
TH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D011859:Radiography; D055815:Young Adult