Neurological Involvement in Behcet's Disease

Abstract

One of the most dreaded organ involvement in Behcet's disease is neurological involvement. The majority of the cases present with parenchymal CNS involvement characterized as a brainstem meningoencephalitis; a rarer presentation is dural sinus thrombosis. Both situations very rarely occur in the same patient. Since parenchymal neurological involvement in Behcet's disease is associated with severe sequelae or mortality, it is a poor prognostic organ involvement. In contrast, dural sinus thrombosis in Behcet's disease has a much better prognosis as compared to the parenchymal involvement, as well as dural sinus thromboses due to other etiologies. There are no randomized controlled treatment trials carried out in neuro-Behcet disease. Mostly accepted approach is to give high dose intravenous steroids at the atack, with a very slow tapering of steroid dose, and adding a long term immunosuppresant. One of the most critical points in neuro-Behcet treatment is not to stop steroids prematurely, and abruptly. It is notable that with the present treatment options, prognosis of neurological involvement in Behcet's disease is not as grave as it was in the previous years. (Turkderm 2009; 43 Suppl 2: 61-4)