Behcet's Disease (BD)

How to pronounce it:

Behcet's - buh-shehts


AiArthritis defines Behcet's disease as:


Behcet's disease, also called Behcet's syndrome, is a rare disorder that causes blood vessel inflammation throughout your body. The disease can lead to numerous signs and symptoms that can seem unrelated at first. It is a form of vasculitis and can affect blood vessels of all sizes and types, and can potentially involve any organ, including the brain and spinal cord. 



Symptoms

Symptoms of AiArthritis Diseases Regardless of Diagnosis

Common in All AiArthritis Diseases



  • Periods of worsening symptoms are called flares. A flare can last for hours, days, weeks, or months.
  • Condition improves with activity and exercise and worsens with rest.
  • When inflammation is left uncontrolled due to lack of proper treatment, comorbidities can develop. 70% of patients with chronic, lifelong disease will develop comorbidities, including dual or triple diagnoses.
  • Autoimmune diseases run in families. If anyone in your immediate family (parents, siblings) or extended family (aunts, uncles, grandparents) have been diagnosed with ANY autoimmune disease, there is the possibility of genetic predisposition.

 “Auto” Symptoms






  • Severe fatigue or exhaustion that may not be helped by caffeine/stimulants and can happen even after a long period of rest.
  • “Brain fog” - or periods of time where thinking gets clouded and it becomes difficult to concentrate.
  • Flu-like symptoms, without having the flu- nausea, muscle weakness, and general malaise.
  • Fever, typically low grade in autoimmune and higher grade in autoinflammatory (% strongly varies per disease).


Reference: Early Symptoms of AiArthritis Study, AiArthritis, 2019.


View Early Symptoms Study

Inflammatory Arthritis Symptoms


  • Severe stiffness in one or more joints, especially in the morning or after sitting for long periods of time. 
  • Episodes of joint pain that may last for hours, days, or even weeks, that can appear and disappear suddenly. Often described as “jumping pain” into different locations.


Typically the joint pain will coincide with one or more “Auto” symptoms and start and stop suddenly - for no apparent reason (which is called a "flare").  Some people will experience all of the above symptoms, others only a few.  If you have any of the arthritis features, and at least one of the “Auto” features, please consult your physician about a referral to a rheumatologist.


Symptoms Often Associated with Behcet's Disease:

  • Painful ulcers, resembling canker sores, inside the mouth
  • Painful, open sores on the genitals
  • Skin lesions resembling acne that can occur anywhere on the body
  • Eye inflammation with symptoms of blurred vision (or blindness), redness and pain
  • Blood clots
  • Gastrointestinal problems
  • Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, with severe headaches, stiff neck, and fever
  • Can lead to more serious complications such as blindness and stroke
  • Lung involvement

What fellow patients want you to know

Do you have Behcet's Disease? Let us know what YOU would want those with Behcet's or those who are not yet diagnosed to know!

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More About Behcet's Disease

Diagnosing Behcet's Disease

There’s no single definitive test that can confirm a Behcet's disease diagnosis, so rheumatologists look at a combination of physical exam, blood tests, and imaging, along with a family history of autoimmune or autoinflammatory disease. For a Behcet's disease diagnosis, mouth sores that have recurred at least 3 times in 12 months and at least 2 of the following signs must be present: recurring genital sores, eye inflammation, skin sores. A pathergy test may also be used, in which your doctor inserts a sterile needle into your skin and examines the area a few days later. If the test is positive, a small red bump forms under your skin where the needle was inserted. This indicates your immune system is overreacting to a minor injury.

Notable Persons with this Disease

  • Sanya Richards, Track Olympic Medalist
  • Tedy Bruschi, Former NFL Player
  • Shannon Elizabeth, Actress
  • Tiffany Westrich-Robertson, OUR CEO! It's a secondary diagnosis, so she does not talk about it as much as her non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, but she does take treatments to manage the BD.

Interesting Facts about this Disease

  • In 1937 the Turkish dermatologist Hulusi Behcet called attention to the association of oral and genital ulcerations with hypopyon-uveitis.
  • Until recently, this was considered a disease strongly associated with those of Middle Eastern dissent, which caused significant diagnosis issues for those who are Caucasian. There has been a movement to consider "Behcet's- like disease," which has expanded diagnosis to include many who reside in the United States.

Other Resources

In an effort to ensure this page has the most accurate and up-to-date information, this page is currently awaiting medical review. Some information is subject to change.


Page Last Updated: 9/1/2023

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