Two Factors
Researchers think that two factors are important for a person to get Behcet's disease.
Symptoms Vary
Behcet'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 (an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord) Meningitis can cause:
- fever
- a stiff neck
- headaches
More severe symptoms usually appear months or years after a person notices the first signs of Behcet's disease. Symptoms can last for a long time or may come and go in a few weeks.
Flares
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 Behcet's disease and monitor its course, patients may want to keep a record of which symptoms occur and when.
Lesions
Since many conditions mimic Behcet's disease, doctors must observe the lesions (injuries) caused by the disorder in order to make an accurate diagnosis.
