s24ab_7

A reassessment of the International Study Group criteria for the diagnosis (classification) of Behçet's syndrome

R. Tunç¹, A. Uluhan, M. Melikoglu, Y. Ozyazgan, H. Özdogan, H. Yazici

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya; Behçet's Syndrome Research Center, Department of Rheumatology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.

ABSTRACT
Objective
Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) were not represented in the diseased controls group that had been utilised in the development of the International Study Group (ISG) criteria for the diagnosis of Behçet's syndrome (BS). Having similar features, both of these conditions can pose problems in the differential diagnosis of BS. Moreover, there has been a recent awareness of coexistence of BS and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). The aim of this study was to reassess the performance of ISG criteria among patients with BS and other rheumatological conditions, specifically including those with CD, UC, and FMF.

Methods
302 consecutive patients with BS and 438 patients with other rheumatological conditions were surveyed for the presence or absence of the features of BS by means of a standard form which had been prepared according to ISG criteria. All control patients with a history of oral ulcer had a pathergy test and an eye examination by an experienced ophthalmologist with a slit lamp. The sensitivity and specificity of the ISG criteria were calculated.

Results
Seven of 302 patients with BS (2%) did not fulfil the ISG criteria while 5 of 438 controls (1%) fulfilled the ISG criteria.

Conclusion
In this study ISG criteria performed well in correctly classifying BS. Further specificity studies might be considered in CD.

Key words
Behçet's syndrome, classification criteria, sensitivity and specificity.

Please address correspondence to: Hasan Yazici MD, Safa Sok. 17/7 Kadikoy 81310, Istanbul, Turkey.
E-mail: hyazici@attglobal.net