Evaluation of vertebral artery involvement by Doppler sonography in patients with Behçet disease.
OBJECTIVE
Neurologic lesions in Behçet disease are most frequently observed in areas supplied by the vertebrobasilar system. We aimed to evaluate possible vertebral artery involvement by Doppler sonography in patients with Behçet disease.


METHODS
Forty-five patients with Behçet disease and 29 healthy volunteers had Doppler sonography of the vertebral arteries. Patients were grouped according to neurologic examination and magnetic resonance imaging findings as follows: group 1, Behçet disease without neurologic involvement; group 2, neuro-Behçet disease; and group 3, control. Results were assessed with a 95% confidence interval.


RESULTS
The main findings of our study were as follows: (1) total vertebral artery volume flow was significantly lower in the patient groups than the control group (P< .05); (2) total volume flow was lower in group 2 than group 1, although the difference was not statistically significant; (3) peak systolic and end-diastolic velocity values were significantly lower in the patient groups than the control group; (4) right and left mean volume values were lower in group 2; and (5) resistive and pulsatility index values for the left vertebral artery were significantly higher in group 2, but no statistically significant differences were found in the resistive and pulsatility index values for the right vertebral artery.


CONCLUSIONS
Doppler sonography of the vertebral arteries in Behçet disease shows alterations that may aid in the diagnosis and treatment of this condition.
Department of Radiology, Adiyaman University Training and Research Hospital, Hastane Caddesi, 02030 Adiyaman, Turkey. drsevgidemiroz@gmail.com.
Sevgi
S
Taşolar
Metin
M
Doğan
Hakan
H
Taşolar
Ayşegul
A
Kahraman
Suat
S
Kamışlı
Adil
A
Doğan
Okan
O
Yıldırım
Yelda
Y
Kapıcıoğlu
D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D014655:Vascular Resistance; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*
Behçet disease; Doppler sonography; neuro-Behçet disease; neurologic involvement; vascular ultrasound; vertebral artery involvement