Azathioprine-steroid combination therapy for pulmonary arterial aneurysms in Behcet's disease

Vasculitis is the primary pathological feature of Behcet's disease and in w hich pulmonary arterial aneurysm formations are rare but serious complicati ons representing poor prognosis. There is no agreement on how to treat majo r venous and arterial disease. The use of steroids alone or corticosteroid treatment supplemented with cyclophosphamide or azathioprine is still contr oversial. We present three young male patients with Behcet's disease with a neurysms in the pulmonary arteries. In two of them, cyclophosphamide was th e first choice of treatment, but this was ceased due to side effects. All t hree patients were then treated with azathioprine (2 mg/kg per day) and met hylprednisolone (1.5 mg/kg per day). All three showed clinical improvement. Regression was observed radiologically in two tone minimal and the other c omplete). No complication related to therapy was encountered. Steroid thera py supplemented with azathioprine may be a good choice for treatment of pul monary arterial aneurysms in Behcet's disease.