title: Ocular involvement in Adamantiades-Behçet's disease in Berlin, Germany.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Charité-Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200, Berlin, Germany. lothar.krause@charite.de
authors.forename: Lothar
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: Anne-Katrin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altenburg
authors.forename: Nestor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papoutsis
authors.forename: Christos C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zouboulis
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pleyer
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stroux
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Foerster
mesh_terms: 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