What Is Behcet’s Disease?
Behcet's disease was first described in 1937 by Dr. Hulusi Behçet, a dermatologist in Turkey. Behcet's disease is now recognized as a chronic condition that causes:
- canker sores or ulcers in the mouth and on the genitals
- inflammation in parts of the eye
In some people, the disease also results in:
- arthritis
- skin problems
- inflammation of the digestive tract, brain, and spinal cord
Prevalance
Behcet's disease is common in the:
- Middle East
- Asia
- Japan
It is rare in the U.S. In Middle Eastern and Asian countries, the disease affects more men than women. In the U.S., the opposite is true. Behcet's disease tends to develop in people in their 20's or 30's, but people of all ages can develop this disease.
Causes
The exact cause of Behcet's disease is unknown. Most symptoms of the disease are caused by vasculitis (an inflammation of the blood vessels)
Inflammation is a characteristic reaction of the body to injury or disease and is marked by four signs:
- swelling
- redness
- heat
- pain
Doctors think that an autoimmune reaction may cause the blood vessels to become inflamed, but they do not know what triggers this reaction. Under normal conditions, the immune system protects the body from diseases and infections by killing harmful "foreign" substances, such as germs, that enter the body. In an autoimmune reaction, the immune system mistakenly attacks and harms the body's own tissues.
Behcet's disease is not contagious, it is not spread from one person to another.
