The disease was first described in 1937 by Dr. Hulusi Behçet, a dermatologist in Turkey. Behçet's disease is now recognized as a chronic condition that causes canker sores or ulcers in the mouth and on the genitals, and inflammation in parts of the eye. In some people, the disease also results in arthritis (swollen, painful, stiff joints), skin problems, and inflammation of the digestive tract, brain, and spinal cord.
Symptoms of Behçet’s Disease
Behçet's disease affects each person differently. Some people have only mild symptoms, such as canker sores or ulcers in the mouth or on the genitals. Others have more severe signs, such as meningitis, which is an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can cause fever, a stiff neck, and headaches. More severe symptoms usually appear months or years after a person notices the first signs of Behçet's disease. Symptoms can last for a long time or may come and go in a few weeks. Typically, symptoms appear, disappear, and then reappear. The times when a person is having symptoms are called flares. Different symptoms may occur with each flare; the problems of the disease often do not occur together. To help the doctor diagnose Behçet's disease and monitor its course, patients may want to keep a record of which symptoms occur and when. Because many conditions mimic Behçet's disease, physicians must observe the lesions (injuries) caused by the disorder in order to make an accurate diagnosis.
The five most common symptoms of Behçet's disease are mouth sores, genital sores, other skin lesions, inflammation of parts of the eye, and arthritis.
Content Courtesy : www.niams.nih.gov
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