How serious is Behcet disease?

Is Behçet’s disease fatal? Death occurs in about 5% of patients. Causes of death are most often intestinal perforation (hole), strokes and a rupture of enlarged, weakened blood vessels (aneurysms).

What is Behcet syndrome?

Behçet’s disease, or Behçet’s syndrome, is a rare and poorly understood condition that results in inflammation of the blood vessels and tissues. Confirming a diagnosis of Behçet’s disease can be difficult because the symptoms are so wide-ranging and general (they can be shared with a number of other conditions).

Can you have mild Behcet’s?

Behcet’s syndrome is different for everyone. Some people have only mild symptoms. Others have more serious problems. Your symptoms often come and go.

What type of Behcet’s is vasculitis?

Vasculitis is classified as an autoimmune disorder—a disease which occurs when the body’s natural defense system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Behcet’s is one of the few forms of vasculitis where a specific gene—HLA-B51—is a known risk factor for the syndrome.

What kind of disease does Behcet disease cause?

Behçet disease is a chronic multisystem inflammatory disorder characterized by ulcers affecting the mouth and genitals, various skin lesions, and abnormalities affecting the eyes.

How is Behcet’s disease treated at the Mayo Clinic?

Treatment involves medications to reduce the signs and symptoms of Behcet’s disease and to prevent serious complications, such as blindness.

Is there a remission for Behcet’s disease?

Although Behcet’s is a chronic disease, patients may have periods of time when symptoms disappear temporarily (remission). The severity of the disease varies from one patient to another. Some patients may experience milder symptoms, while others may develop complications affecting various organ systems.

When do people with Behcet’s syndrome show up?

Behcet’s syndrome is very rare in the U.S. It’s more common in the Middle East, Asia, and Japan, or among people from these areas. It usually shows up when you are in your 20s or 30s, but you can get it at any age. It affects more men than women.