Behçet's Disease
How to pronounce it: Behcet's - buh-shehts
AiArthritis defines Behçet's Disease as:
Behcet’s disease is a rare condition that causes inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis). It can affect various parts of the body, including the mouth, eyes, skin, and internal organs.
Symptoms & Characteristics
Common in All AiArthritis Diseases
Flares: Periods of worsening symptoms are called flares. A flare can last for hours, days, weeks, or months.
Physical Activity: Condition improves with activity and exercise and worsens with rest.
Comorbidities: 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.
Family History:
Autoimmune diseases often run in families, indicating a potential genetic predisposition where that gene can cause disease. Autoinflammatory diseases can occur multiple times in a family, but is based off of genetic mutation. It is not a gene that causes the disease— but a mutation on the gene that can cause the disease which can then be passed on to the next generation.
"Auto" Symptoms
Fatiga: Fatiga o agotamiento severo que puede no aliviarse con cafeína o estimulantes y que puede presentarse incluso después de un largo período de descanso.
Disfunción cognitiva: Niebla mental o periodos de tiempo en los que el pensamiento se nubla y resulta difícil concentrarse.
Síntomas similares a los de la gripe: Sin tener gripe: náuseas, debilidad muscular y malestar general.
Fiebre: Por lo general, el grado es bajo en las enfermedades autoinmunes (con excepción de la artritis idiopática juvenil) y el grado es más alto en las autoinflamatorias (el porcentaje varía mucho según la enfermedad).
Referencia: Estudio sobre los primeros síntomas de la artritis inducida por adyuvante, AiArthritis, 2019.
Inflammatory Arthritis Symptoms
Stiffness: Severe stiffness in one or more joints, especially in the morning or after sitting for long periods of time.
Joint Pain: 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 specialist.
Symptoms Often Associated with Behçet's Disease
- Painful mouth and genital sores
- Skin lesions that look like acne
- Eye inflammation (blurred vision, pain)
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Blood clots
- Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, with severe headaches, stiff neck, and fever
- Lung involvement
Diagnóstico de la enfermedad de Behçet
There’s no single test that can confirm a Behcet’s disease diagnosis, so rheumatologists rely on a combination of physical exams, blood tests, and imaging, along with a family history of autoimmune or autoinflammatory diseases.
For a Behcet’s disease diagnosis, recurrent mouth sores (occurring at least three times in 12 months) must be present, along with at least two of the following:
- Recurring genital sores
- Eye inflammation
- Skin sores
A pathergy test may also be used, where a sterile needle is inserted into the skin. If a small red bump forms at the site within a few days, it indicates an immune system overreaction, supporting the diagnosis of Behcet’s disease.
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- Behcet’s disease is named after Turkish dermatologist Dr. Hulusi Behçet, who first described it in 1937 after noticing a triad of symptoms: oral ulcers, genital ulcers, and eye inflammation. The disease was later understood to be an inflammatory condition affecting blood vessels, with higher prevalence along the Silk Road regions.
- 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.
- World Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Arthritis Day - May 20th
- Rare Disease Day - February 29th (28th)
- Autoimmune Awareness Month - March
- Behçet's Awareness Day - May 20th
- Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month - September
- Pain Awareness Month - September
- Chronic Disease Awareness Day - July 10th
- Invisible Disabilities Week - 3rd full week of October
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Última actualización de la página: 31/10/2024