A CASE OF BEHCETS-DISEASE WITH MULTIPLE LONGITUDINAL ULCERS ALL OVER THE COLON

We experienced a rare case of intestinal Behcet's disease simulating C rohn's colitis. A 70-yr-old female presented oral and genital ulcers, erythema nodosum, arthralgias, and abdominal pain. Regardless of our e fforts, she died of septic shock. Autopsy showed punched-out ulcers in the terminal ileum and multiple longitudinal ulcers with inflammatory polyposis spreading from the ascending to the descending colon. The d ifferential diagnosis of intestinal Behcet's disease versus Crohn's di sease was difficult. However, microscopic findings showed nonspecific ulceration, and no evidence of Crohn's disease could be found. Clinica lly, the patient met the criteria of Behcet's disease, and punched-out ulcers in the ileocecal region, which is characteristic of intestinal Behcet's disease, confirmed the diagnosis of Behcet's colitis. Althou gh rarely encountered, multiple longitudinal ulcers can involve all of the colon in Behcet's disease, like Crohn's disease.