Clinical manifestation of Behcet’s disease in patients admitted to dermatology ward, Sina Hospital, Hamadan in 1991-99

Abstract

<span>Background: Behcet's disease is a recurrent, chronic and multi-systemic disease, which is determined by mucocutaneous manifestations. It spreads all over the world. The most common areas are in the Middle East, Mediterranean and Far East. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of clinical manifestations of Behcet's disease in patients admitted to dermatology ward of Sina Hospital in Hamadan city in 1991-1999. Patients and Methods: This study was a descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study, which the essential information including sex, age and clinical manifestations were gathered by referring to the patients' files. Then the obtained information were analyzed by EPI info6 software. Results: Twenty-eight patients were identified. Thirteen patients (46.6%) were female and 15 patients (53.6%) were male. The most common age was in the third decade. The average age of the patients at the beginning of disease was 31.89±12.95 years. Skin involvement was observed in 11 patients (39.9%). Nine patients (32.1%) had folliculitis, 5 patients (17.9%) had papulopustular lesions, 2 patients (7.1%) had erythema nodosum like lesions. Conclusion: This study showed that skin involvement (Particularly erythema nodosum like lesions, papulopustular lesions and positive pathergy test) and also articular symptoms were less common in patients in Hamadan than other parts of world. But the frequency of other clinical manifestations of Behcet's disease were nearly equal to other studies.</span>