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The Clinical Course of Behçet's Disease in Pregnacy: A Retrospective Analysis and Review of the Literature
Soner Uzun, Erkan Alpsoy*, Murat Durdu and Ayse Akman
Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
*Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey.
Although Behçet's disease is mainly diagnosed during the reproductive periods of life, we know little about the influence of pregnancy on the clinical course of Behçet's disease. Therefore, we analyzed the relationship between Behçet's disease and pregnancy retrospectively, in order to detect any possible interaction between the two multisystemic processes, particularly in regard to the influence of pregnancy on the clinical course of Behçet's disease. We studied 44 pregnancies in 28 women with Behçet's disease. The diagnoses were made according to the criteria of the International Study Group for Behçet's disease. The patients were observed during pregnancy and puerperium periods at monthly intervals. The existence and incidence of symptoms were recorded during these periods. There was remission of Behçet's disease during 23 (52.3%) pregnancies, although the disease had been in a stage of exacerbation before pregnancy. The disease became exacerbated during 12 (27.3%) pregnancies, although it had been in a stage of remission before pregnancy. There were no changes in the clinical course of Behçet's disease in 9 (20.4%) pregnancies. The most frequent manifestations of the clinical exacerbation were increases in the intensity and severity of outbreaks of oral ulcers during pregnancy. Outbreaks of genital ulcers, eye inflammations, and arthritis were other signs of exacerbation. Other than spontaneous abortion in three patients, we did not observe maternal or fetal complications. Although Behçet's disease tends toward remission during pregnancy, the influence of pregnancy on its clinical course is quite variable between patients and even during different pregnancies in the same patient. On the basis of our and previous results, we speculate that pregnancy in general does not seem to markedly affect the natural course of Behçet's disease.
key words: Behçet's disease; pregnancy; puerperium period; retrospective study; clinical course; review
Received January 6, 2003; Accepted for publication March 25, 2003
Reprint requests to: Assoc. Prof. Soner Uzun, M.D., Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Çukurova University, 01330 Adana, Turkey.
J Dermatol 30 (7): 499-502, 2003
Japanese Dermatological Association
http://www.dermatol.or.jp
