Behcet's disease and joint affection

Aim. To study joint pathology in patients with Behcet's disease (BD). Material and methods. The trial enrolled 183 BD patients (128 males, 54 females, mean age 32,0 ± 9.8 years, age at BD onset 22.3 ± 9.9 years, mean duration of the disease 9.5 ± 8.9 years. Results. Joint pathology occurred in 74.8% patients, in 10.9% patients the disease onset was associated with arthritis and arthralgia. 3 patients had aceptic necrosis of the head of the femur and knee joint, 3 patients - bone marrow infarction. Knee joints were affected more frequently than others (up to 40%) followed by ankle, elbow and radiocarpal and other joints. In BD duration about 10 years, none of the examinees had stage III of sacroiliitis, stage II was diagnosed only in 4 patients, stage I (suspicion) - in 9. Significant sacroillitis was not registered, bilateral sacroillitis occurred only in 9 patients. HLA B5 was detected in 61% patients while HLA B27 - only in 9.7%. Conclusion. The articular syndrome was seen in 3/4 of BD patients. Arthritis runs a recurrent course. Erosive arthritis, sacroillitis and combination of the latter with HLA B27 are rare.

Behcet's disease, arthritis, sacroillitis, HLA-antige