title: Behçet disease: treatment of vascular involvement in children.
abstract: Behçet disease is the only primary vasculitis that affects both arteries and veins of any size. We present our treatment protocol in disease with vascular involvement in seven pediatric patients. All seven patients met the international criteria for the disease before the age of 16 years. Only one was a girl. The vascular involvement was as follows: Two patients had superficial vein thrombosis, two patients had atrial or ventricular thrombosis, one had arterial involvement with pulmonary aneurysms, and two had thrombosis of the venous sinuses in the central nervous system. The median duration of vascular involvement was 4 months (range 3-24 months) after the diagnosis of BD and was concomitant with diagnosis in three patients. All received colchicine and steroids. The ones with thrombosis in the venous system received additional azathioprine, whereas those with pulmonary arterial or cardiac involvement initially received cyclophosphamide for 150-180 mg/kg total dose (IV or oral) and then were switched to azathioprine for a further 6 months. All except the patient with pulmonary arterial involvement received a course of anticoagulation treatment as well. These patients have been followed up for a period of at least 18 months and so far are free of vascular relapses. One has developed a severe uveitis necessitating further therapy. In conclusion, features of vascular involvement should be carefully sought for in patients with Behçet disease. Effective management has enabled disease-free survival in the presented patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Nephrology and Rheumatology Unit, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. sezaozen@hacettepe.edu.tr
authors.forename: Seza
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozen
authors.forename: Yelda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bilginer
authors.forename: Nesrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Besbas
authors.forename: Nuray Aktay
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Ayaz
authors.forename: Aysin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bakkaloglu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D020293:Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003524:Cyclosporins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D001379:Azathioprine