Behçet's disease: a diagnostic challenge in clinical practice

Abstract

Introduction: Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of autoimmune etiology, characterized by recurrent systemic vasculitis; which is characterized by the presence of oral, genital and ocular ulcers, accompanied by skin lesions; the same ones that have a clinical course characterized by episodes of remission and exacerbation of the disease, without clearly defined triggers.

Clinical case: A 24-year-old woman with a history of oral ulcers that appear spontaneously and resolve with the use of systemic corticosteroids; comes for presenting a new episode of oral ulcers that; On this occasion, they are accompanied by genital ulcers, odynophagia. Paraclinical with negative results for infectious diseases, with negative autoimmune panel, HLA B51 positive. Treatment with immunosuppressants was started, obtaining a favorable response with complete remission of the lesions.

Conclusion: Behçet's disease is a pathology that, due to its rarity, can be confused with other entities; causing a late diagnosis of the disease. A comprehensive approach allows for specific targeted treatment, reducing exacerbation episodes and achieving an improvement in the patient's quality of life.

Key words: Behçet Syndrome, Oral Ulcer, Vasculitis, Genital Diseases