[Parenchymal neuro-Behcet's disease. Clinical and paraclinical characteristics, a report of 40 cases].
OBJECTIVE
Describe the clinical and paraclinical characteristics of parenchymal neuro-Behcet's disease.


METHODS
This is a prospective, descriptive study, concerning 40 patients with parenchymal neuro-Behcet's disease. The patients were followed during 3 years, benefited a thorough physical examination and paraclinical made of inflammatory laboratory tests, infectious serology, serum/CSF autoimmunity assessment, brain/spine MRI and evoked potentials. We also evaluated the frequency of HLA-B51.


RESULTS
We identified 22 men and 18 women. The average age was 32 years. The beginning was poly-symptomatic in 65% cases. Twenty-eight patients (70%) reported a decrease in visual acuity, 40% (16 cases) associated with uveitis, 33 cases (82.5%) complained of headache and 11 cases (27.5%) with dizziness. Inaugural signs consisted of motor disorders (50%) and balance disorders (40%). The inflammatory serum markers were positive in 75% and oligoclonal bands present in CSF were found in 7 patients. Infracentimetric demyelinating lesions in MRI study were located in the brainstem (52.5%), the subcortical white matter (40%), the periventricular region (42.5%), cerebellum (32.5%), basal ganglia (30%), internal capsule (25%) and corpus callosum (12.5%). The HLA-B51 was found in 53% of cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Behçet's disease mainly affects young male. The neurological complications are highly polymorphic, involving severe vital or functional prognosis.
CHU Nedir Mohamed, service de neurologie, 15000 Tizi-Ouzou, Algérie. Electronic address: smailda05@yahoo.fr.
Smail
S
Daoudi
CHU Nedir Mohamed, service de neurologie, 15000 Tizi-Ouzou, Algérie.
Massinissa
M
Lounis
EPH Ali Ait-Idir, service de neurologie, 16009 Alger, Algérie.
Mahmoud
M
Ait-Kaci-Ahmed
D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies