title: Ileocolonic involvement in Behçet's disease: endoscopic and histological evaluation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our aim was to document the frequency of gastrointestinal (GI) involvement of Behçet's disease (BD) at endoscopic examination. Also, we aimed to analyze whether GI lesions were correlated with other systemic components of BD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with BD were enrolled in the study. Patients in whom optimal colonoscopic examination of both the colon and terminal ileum could be performed were included. An ileum biopsy was taken from all cases. Upper GI endoscopy findings, presence of genital ulcers, uveitis, dermatological lesions, pathergy test, neurological involvement and peripheral vasculitis, and laboratory findings were recorded. Thirty age- and sex-matched persons who had perfect bowel cleansing and had a macroscopically normal colon and terminal ileum at colonoscopy without any systemic diseases were enrolled as the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine patients and 1 case had macroscopic ileum and colon lesions, respectively. Microscopic examination of BD patients with normal colon and terminal ileum at colonoscopy revealed 61% abnormal ileum histologies. That ratio was 30% for the control group (p < 0.001). None of the patients had any lesions suggesting BD at upper GI endoscopy. There was no correlation between macro- or microscopic GI involvement and other components of BD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower GI tract, especially ileum involvement, is frequent in BD. Most of the patients have inflammation in the ileum even in the absence of macroscopic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. gskoklu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Seyfettin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Köklü
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yüksel
authors.forename: Ilknur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Onur
authors.forename: Selman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Unverdi
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Biyikoğlu
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akbal
authors.forename: Demet
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sengül
authors.forename: Hatice
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Unverdi
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ekşioğlu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D053704:Capsule Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000379:methods; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007077:Ileal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014456:Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult