OCULAR IMMUNOPATHOLOGY OF BEHCETS-DISEASE

A patient developed progressive, severe, recurrent bilateral iridocycl itis, retinal vasculitis, and hemorrhagic infarction of the retina tha t led to blindness despite immunosuppressive therapy. Histopathology o f an enucleated blind and painful eye revealed marked nongranulomatous uveitis with a predominantly CD4+ T-lymphocytic infiltration, as well as B-cell and plasma cell aggregation. Extensive expression of adhesi on molecules on vascular endothelial cells were found. This finding su ggests that adhesion molecules play an important role in the vasculiti c process, the trademark of Behcet's disease. The ocular pathology and the therapeutic approach to Behcet's disease are briefly reviewed. (C ) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.