title: Cardiac manifestations in Behcet's disease.
abstract: Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder, with vasculitis underlying the pathophysiology of its multisystemic effects. Venous pathology and thrombotic complications are hallmarks of BD. However, it has been increasingly recognised that cardiac involvement and arterial complications are also important aspects of the course of the disease. Cardiac lesions include pericarditis, endocarditis, intracardiac thrombosis, myocardial infarction, endomyocardial fibrosis, and myocardial aneurysm. Treatment of cardiovascular involvement in BD is largely empirical, and is aimed towards suppressing the vasculitis. The most challenging aspect seems to be the treatment of arterial aneurysms and thromboses due to the associated risk of bleeding. When the prognosis of cardiac involvement in BD is not good, recovery can be achieved through oral anticoagulation, immunosuppressive therapy, and colchicine use. In this review, we summarise the cardiovascular involvement, different manifestations, and treatment of BD.
authors.affiliation: Selami Demirelli, M.D, Department of Cardiology, Erzurum Education and Research Hospital, Erzurum, Turkey;
authors.forename: Selami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirelli
authors.affiliation: Husnu Degirmenci, M.D, Department of Cardiology, Erzincan Universty, Erzincan, Turkey;
authors.forename: Husnu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Degirmenci
authors.affiliation: Sinan Inci, M.D, Department of Cardiology, Aksaray State Hospital, Aksaray, Turkey;
authors.forename: Sinan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inci
authors.affiliation: Arif Arisoy, Department of Cardiology, M.D, Gaziosmanpasa Universty, Medical Faculty, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arisoy
keywords: Behcet's disease; cardiac manifestations; treatment