Behcet's Syndrome (Print Version)

Also called: Also called: Behcet's disease

Behcet's syndrome is a disease that involves inflammation of the blood vessels. It causes problems in many parts of the body. The most common symptoms are

Sores in the mouth
Sores on the sex organs
Other skin sores
Swelling of parts of the eye
Pain, swelling and stiffness of the joints

More serious problems can include meningitis, blood clots, inflammation of the digestive system and blindness.

Doctors aren't sure what causes Behcet's. It is rare in the United States, but is common in the Middle East and Asia. It mainly affects people in their 20s and 30s. Diagnosing Behcet's can take a long time, because symptoms may come and go, and it may take months or even years to have all of the symptoms. There is no cure. Treatment focuses on reducing pain and preventing serious problems.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here

What Is Behcet's Disease?(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Behcets_Disease/behcets_disease_ff.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/Informacion_de_Salud/Sindrome_de_Behcet/default.asp

Overviews

Behcet's Disease(Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center) - http://vasculitis.med.jhu.edu/typesof/behcets.html
Behcet's Disease(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/behcet/behcet.htm
Questions and Answers about Behcet's Disease(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Behcets_Disease/default.asp

Diagnosis/Symptoms

Diagnosis (of Behçet's Disease)(American Behcet's Disease Association) - http://www.behcets.com/site/pp.asp?c=bhJIJSOCJrH&b=260549
Most Common Symptoms and Signs of Behcet's Disease(American Behcet's Disease Association) - http://www.behcets.com/site/pp.asp?c=bhJIJSOCJrH&b=260548

Treatment

Prednisone(Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center) - http://vasculitis.med.jhu.edu/treatments/prednisone.html
Treatments for Behcet's Disease(American Behcet's Disease Association) - http://www.behcets.com/site/pp.asp?c=bhJIJSOCJrH&b=260550

Specific Conditions

Behçet's Disease of the Eye(National Eye Institute) - http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/behcets/

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Behcet Syndrome(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Behcet+Syndrome%22

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Neuro-Behçet's disease: epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and management. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19161910&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Mortality in Behçet's syndrome. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19026156&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Treatment strategies for Behçet's disease. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19040341&tool=MedlinePlus
Behcet's Syndrome -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=behcet+syndrome[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt])+NOT+(case+reports[pt]+OR+letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Organizations

American Behcet's Disease Association - http://www.behcets.com/
National Eye Institute - http://www.nei.nih.gov/
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Vasculitis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vasculitis.html
Blood, Heart and Circulation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bloodheartandcirculation.html
Eyes and Vision - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/eyesandvision.html
Mouth and Teeth - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mouthandteeth.html
Skin, Hair and Nails - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skinhairandnails.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Behcet's Syndrome is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/