BEHCETS-DISEASE WITH PULMONARY INVOLVEMENT, SUPERIOR VENA-CAVA SYNDROME, CHYLOPTYSIS AND CHYLOUS ASCITES

Behcet's disease is a chronic multisystem vasculitis of unknown aetiol ogy. This case report describes a patient who applied to the hospital because of dyspnoea, ascites, oedema of lower extremities and recurren t episodes of haemoptysis. For the last 12 yr, he had superior vena ca va syndrome (SVCS) and cardiac and pulmonary involvement of Behcet's d isease, and biochemical examination of ascite fluid yielded a chylous effusion containing triglyceride 421 mg dl(-1) and cholesterol 49 mg d l(-1). Chyloptysis was also detected by Sudan III stain. The patient d ied from cardiac tamponade in spite of cardiac fenestration. To the au thors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of Behcet's disease with chylous ascites and chyloptysis in the English literature.