Onset signs, clinical course, prognosis, treatment and outcome of adult patients with Adamantiades-Behçet's disease in Greece

C.C. Zouboulis¹, G. Vaiopoulos², N. Marcomichelakis³, G. Palimeris⁴, I. Markidou⁴, B. Thouas⁵, P. Kaklamanis⁵

¹Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany; ²First Department of Internal Medicine, Laikon General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; ³Ocular Inflammation and Immunology Service, Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital of Athens; ⁴Department of Ophthalmology, Gennimatas Hospital, National and Kapodis-trian University of Athens; ⁵Athens Medical Center, Athens, Greece.

ABSTRACT
Objectives
To examine the onset signs, clinical course, prognosis, treatment and outcome of Adamantiades-Behçet's  disease in adult Greek patients during a 10-year follow-up period, and to compare the results with those of other series reported.

Methods
The studied population consisted of 82 adult patients (54 male and 28 female) of Greek origin. Patients filled out a standard questionnaire and were followed up regularly. The findings during the follow-up of these patients were compared with those of other series.

Results
The most frequent onset sign was oral aphthae, both in our patients and in those of other published series. Eye involvement, joint involvement, genital ulcers and skin lesions followed in frequency. During a 10-year follow-up differences were observed between men and women, with arthritis being more frequent in females compared to males and with an overall more severe course in males. Eye involvement occurred earlier than neurological and vascular manifestations. A few differences were found in the clinical parameters in comparison to previously reported ethnic series. HLA-B51 positive patients presented an odds ratio of 9.5, the activity index was 5.17 ± 2.56 and the mean severity score 5.96 ± 2.32. Early treatment led to improvement of the disease.

Conclusion
The pattern of Adaman-tiades-Behçet's disease in adult Greek patients provides major similarities when compared to patterns in various other national groups.

Key words
Behçet's disease, adults, onset manifestation, clinical course.

Please address correspondence to: Phaedon Kaklamanis, MD, 61 Ipsilantou Street, 115 21 Athens, Greece. 
E-mail: Virginia@hol.gr

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2003; 21: (Suppl. 30): S19-S26.
© Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2003.