Thrombosis in Behcet's disease: a retrospective survey from a single UK centre

Objective. To contribute to knowledge of vascular occlusion in Behcet's dis ease (BD), prevalence and relative risk for thrombosis were ascertained ret rospectively in a cohort of Caucasian patients with the disease. Patients. The study included 73 ED patients (36 males, 37 females, mean age 45 +/- 11 yr) attending the Immunology/Rheumatology Department of Northwic k Park Hospital. A group of 146 patients without ED, attending the same dep artment, served as a control group. Results. Thrombosis was more frequent in ED patients than in controls (23/1 3, 32% ris 7/146, 5%, P < 0.001). This was accounted for by a higher preval ence of venous thrombosis in ED patients (18/73, 25% vs 4/146, 3%, P < 0.00 1). Gender-adjusted data revealed an Ii-fold risk of developing any thrombo sis and a 14-fold risk of developing venous thrombosis in ED. After adjusti ng for differences in age at first symptoms, male BD patients showed a 6-fo ld higher risk of vein thrombosis. Males reported more often thrombophlebit is (13/36, 36% vs 0/0, P < 0.001), folliculitis (8/36, 22% vs 1/37, 3%, P < 0.01) and retinal vasculitis (13/36, 36%, vs 4/37, 11%, P = 0.01) than fem ales, in whom arthralgia prevailed (23/37, 62%, vs 12/36, 33%, P = 0.01). Conclusion. m our population, ED confers a 14-fold risk of developing venou s thrombosis. The risk is sixfold higher in male ED patients, who fare wors e than females with regard to thrombophlebitis, folliculitis and retinal va sculitis.