title: Endoscopic findings of gastrointestinal involvement in Chinese patients with Behcet's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the incidence, clinical features and outcomes of gastrointestinal (GI) involvement in Behcet's disease (BD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 168 consecutive patients with BD were screened and upper and lower GI endoscopies were performed in 148 patients. Four hundred age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled for comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-two (35.1%) patients had GI lesions. After a mean follow-up of 10 mo, ileocecal ulcers had been confirmed in 20 patients, including active ulcer(s) in 18 patients, but no ileocecal ulceration was found in controls. GI symptoms were present in 14 patients with active ulcer(s), while 4 patients with smaller ulcer were asymptomatic. Endoscopic features of ileocecal ulcer were: a single ulcer (50%), larger than 1 cm in diameter (72.2%), and round/oval or volcano-type in shape (83.3%). Compared with patients without GI involvement, less ocular lesions, lower levels of albumin, erythrocyte count and hemoglobin, and higher levels of C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were confirmed in the intestinal BD group. Four patients had esophageal ulcers in the BD group but no case in controls. The other endoscopic findings were similar between the two groups. The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection was similar in both groups. Most patients received an immunomodulator and responded well.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GI lesions commonly occur in Chinese BD patients. The most frequently involved area is the ileocecal region. Esophageal ulcer might be a rare but unique lesion.
authors.affiliation: Jun Zou, Yan Shen, Jian-Long Guan, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine, Huadong Hospital, Research Center on Aging and Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Jun Zou, Yan Shen, Jian-Long Guan, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine, Huadong Hospital, Research Center on Aging and Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Jun Zou, Yan Shen, Jian-Long Guan, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine, Huadong Hospital, Research Center on Aging and Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: Da-Nian
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Jun Zou, Yan Shen, Jian-Long Guan, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine, Huadong Hospital, Research Center on Aging and Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: Song-Bai
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Jun Zou, Yan Shen, Jian-Long Guan, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine, Huadong Hospital, Research Center on Aging and Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Long
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044466:Asian People; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014456:Ulcer / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D007155:Immunologic Factors
keywords: Behcet’s disease; Case-controlled; Endoscopy; Gastrointestinal involvement; Ulcer