Ocular involvement in Adamantiades-Behçet's disease in Berlin, Germany.
BACKGROUND
Epidemiological studies demonstrate a prevalence of Adamantiades-Behçet's disease (ABD) in the range of 0.12-420 per 100,000 inhabitants, with the highest rates in Istanbul, Turkey, and the lowest rates in the USA. Ophthalmological data on the prevalence of ocular involvement are limited for ABD in Germany, because most epidemiological studies are based on rheumatological or dermatological data. Berlin is the city with the highest number of non-native German inhabitants, and its multi-ethnic character renders it uniquely appropriate for epidemiological studies on ABD.


METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed all ABD patients seen in our department since 1982. All patients fulfilled the criteria of the International Study Group for Behçet's Disease. We found 140 patients (63 female, 77 male), with a mean follow-up of 6.4 years (0.5-22 years).


RESULTS
The mean age was 23 at the first manifestation and 32 when the full-blown disease was noted. The mean age at onset of ocular involvement was 30. Most of the patients were of Turkish (n = 73) or German (n = 34) origin. Fifty-six percent developed ocular involvement, which was the first manifestation in 8.6% and the second manifestation in 19.3% of cases.


CONCLUSIONS
More than half the patients developed ocular involvement. The calculated prevalence of ocular involvement in ABD is 1.77/100,000 inhabitants for the municipality of Berlin.
Krause
Lothar
L
Department of Ophthalmology, Charité-Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200, Berlin, Germany. lothar.krause@charite.de
Köhler
Anne-Katrin
AK
Altenburg
Andreas
A
Papoutsis
Nestor
N
Zouboulis
Christos C
CC
Pleyer
Uwe
U
Stroux
Andrea
A
Foerster
Michael H
MH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D001604:Berlin / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015863:Iridocyclitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015864:Panuveitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015995:Prevalence; D031300:Retinal Vasculitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology