Symptoms
Symptoms of Behcet’s disease can vary from mild to very severe. Symptoms tend to appear, heal, and then recur (referred to as a flare) frequently over months or years. The most common symptoms of the disease are:
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Oral sores
- Affect almost all people with the disease
- Usually are the first to appear
- Usually last for 10 to 14 days
- Can be painful
- Can cause scarring
Ulcerated Gums
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Genital sores
- In men: appear on the penis and/or scrotum
- In women: appear on the vulva or within the vagina
- Can be painful
- Can cause scarring
-
Uveitis—inflammation of the middle part of the eye, including the iris
- Tends to cause eye redness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, and watering eyes
- If not treated, can cause partial vision loss or blindness
- Arthritis
—inflammation of joints
- Tends to be painful
- Usually does not cause permanent joint damage
-
Skin problems, such as sores
- May appear as red, raised sores or bumps, or may be flat (flush with the skin)
- Usually appear on the legs and upper torso
Other symptoms of the disease may include:
- Severe fatigue during a flare
-
Blood clots
- Caused by thrombophlebitis (inflammation of veins), usually in the legs
- Can cause severe complications if not treated quickly
- Aneurysms
, or severely dilated blood vessels
- May rupture and cause severe consequences
-
Heart problems, such as:
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Missed heartbeats
- Early heartbeats
- Inflammation of the heart muscle ( myocarditis )
-
Central nervous system problems
- For example, meningoencephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain and membrane that lines the brain
- May result in seizures , confusion, strokes , memory problems, headaches
Stroke from a Cerebral Aneurysm
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Digestive problems
- Causes ulcers and inflammation of the digestive tract (rarely)
Diagnosis
Diagnosing Behcet’s disease is very difficult because:
- Symptoms are similar to those of many other diseases.
- Symptoms often appear very slowly, over months or years.
- There is no specific test to confirm the disease.
A doctor may suspect Behcet’s disease if oral sores appear at least three times within a year, and at least two of the following recurring symptoms appear:
- Eye inflammation
- Genital sores
- Skin sores
If Behcet’s disease is suspected, your doctor will do tests to rule out other diseases with similar symptoms. Also, you may have a pathergy skin test. For this test, your skin is pricked with a small needle. If you have Behcet’s disease, a bump will develop at the site of the skin prick. However, this test is not conclusive. Many people with the disease do not have a reaction to the skin prick.