Purpose. - Results that were obtained from three patients and a literature
review allow the authors to better define the place of medical and surgical
treatments according to the different locations of arterial aneurysm occur
ring in the course of Behcet's disease.
Methods. - Retrospective report of five cases of arterial aneurysm that occ
urred during Behcet's disease in three patients.
Results. - Due to the unusual symptoms, diagnosis can be hampered. Though l
esions may be observed in various areas, they were mostly aortic (Two patie
nts). Surgical revascularization was done in all three patients. It mainly
involved prosthetic grafts. Two patients were subsequently treated by posto
perative immunosuppressive drugs. The mean follow-up was 22 months. Relapsi
ng aneurysm was observed in one patient, while in another patient aneurysm
developed in a new location.
Conclusion. - These types of arterial lesions respond poorly to medical tre
atment when a combination of colchicine and intermittent intravenous bolus
of cyclophosphamide is used. Surgical indications should be given great yet
selected weight, using pi-esthetic rather than venous autologous grafts (d
ue to the risk of spontaneous venous involvement). Since either complicatio
n or recurrence is possible, prolonged monitoring is required. (C) 1999 Els
evier, Paris.