title: Behcet's disease: systemic and ocular manifestations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate if patients with Behcet's disease who have ocular involvement have a more severe form of this disease as compared to patients with Behcet's disease alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 99 patients were included in the study. 76 patients were used as part of the examined group, and 23 patients formed a control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The following are the results of examined and control groups, respectively: recurrent oral aphthous ulcers 89.5%, 95.7%; genital ulcers 61.8%, 97.0%; articular involvement 72.4%, 65.2%; vasculitis 81.6%, 60.9%; positive pathergy test 25.0%, 47.8%. Higher frequency of genital ulcerations was noted in control group (P = 0.001). More than two major criteria were met in 100% of the cases. HLA B51 was present in 78.9% of the cases in the examined group and 43.5% of the cases in control group; thus there is significant difference between them (P = 0.001). Visual acuity >0.5 occurred in 76% (examined group). Most frequent ocular manifestations in the examined group were retinal periphlebitis 81.6%, periphlebitis and periarteritis 65%, and serofibrinous uveitis 63.2%. Macular edema as a complication was present in 63.2%. The majority of patients (55.3%) were treated with combined therapy consisting of cyclosporine A and systemic corticosteroids. In 38.2% of patients, laser photocoagulation was used on retinal periphery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Clinical Centre of Belgrade, Pasterova 2, Belgrade 11000, Serbia.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paovic
authors.forename: Predrag
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paovic
authors.forename: Vojislav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sredovic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D010689:Phlebitis / Q000150:complications; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014605:Uveitis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D014792:Visual Acuity