Behcet's disease syndrome, also known as Behcet's disease, is a systemic immune system disease and belongs to vasculitis. It can invade many organs of human body, including mouth, skin, joint muscles, eyes, blood vessels, heart, lungs and nervous system. The main manifestations are recurrent oral and perineal ulcers, rashes, erythema of lower limbs, iriditis of eyes, esophageal ulcers, small intestine or colon ulcers and joint swelling and pain. Behcet's syndrome needs regular drug treatment, including various drugs that regulate immunity. Without treatment, the prognosis is not good, and serious cases are life-threatening.
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1. High-risk population [2]
The disease can be seen in all kinds of people in China, from teenagers to the elderly, mostly in young people, and can occur in both men and women.
2. Oral ulcer
The main manifestations of patients are recurrent oral ulcers and pain. The ulcer surface is deep, and the bottom is mostly white or yellow. Multiple ulcers (commonly known as "aphtha") can occur in multiple parts at the same time, including tongue, lips, palate and pharynx. Most ulcers can improve by themselves, but they often recur. In severe cases, the pain is severe, which greatly affects eating.
3. Genital ulcer
In addition to oral ulcers, patients can also have vulvar ulcers, such as male and female genital ulcers, which can be large or small.
4. Eye lesions
Some patients can also show eye diseases, including redness, pain, photophobia or decreased vision and blurred vision, and one or both eyes may be affected.
5. Skin manifestations
There are also some patients with skin lesions, which are characterized by "acne"-like rashes on the face, chest and back or other parts, or similar to "boils", which can be improved by themselves, but are easy to recur. In addition, some patients will have cyanosis, swelling and pain in the lower limbs, and they can feel "acne". Others will have repeated erythema on the lower limbs, ranging in size from soybeans to copper coins, and it hurts when pressed. This phenomenon is called erythema nodosum. Other patients will have redness, swelling, blisters or pustules in the eyes of infusion or blood drawing needles, which usually appear within 24 ~ 72 hours after injection. This phenomenon is called "acupuncture reaction" positive.
6. Joint diseases
Many patients will have joint pain or swelling, which can be single or multiple joints. Lower limb joints are more common and may be accompanied by arm and leg pain. In severe cases, joint effusion and synovitis occur.
7. Gastrointestinal diseases
Another common manifestation is gastrointestinal symptoms, including dysphagia or chest pain, acid reflux, heartburn, abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stool or purulent blood, or feeling a lump in the abdomen, weight loss, emaciation and loss of appetite. These symptoms can all appear, or only one of them can appear. Patients who have undergone gastroscopy or colonoscopy will be told that they have "ulcers".
8. Vascular disease
Thrombophlebitis and deep venous thrombosis can occur in a few patients, and pulmonary embolism can also occur in severe cases. Patients may have shortness of breath, breathlessness, chest pain and even syncope after exercise. Other patients may have aneurysms, leading to local embolism and ischemia. After aneurysm rupture, it may cause massive bleeding and even life-threatening.
9. Neuropathy
Some patients may have stiff hands and feet, headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, numbness of hands and feet, pain or weakness, paralysis of one hand and foot, severe convulsion, rolling eyes and other similar "whiplash-like" manifestations, which may be that Behcet's syndrome has damaged the nervous system. Brain stem is the most frequently involved part of nervous system, and it can also be found in spinal cord, cerebral hemisphere, cerebellum and meninges, and brain atrophy can occur.
10. General symptoms
Many patients are accompanied by fatigue, anorexia, low fever, emaciation and other systemic symptoms.