History and development of Behcet's disease

Abstract

I have tried to outline the history and development of Behcet's disease, which was first described in 1937 by Hulusi Behcet, a Turkish Professor of Dermatology. The clinical picture is a triple symptom complex consisting of relapsing aphthous ulcers in the mouth and over the genitalia, and hypopion iritis. I have divided the developmental history of Behcet's disease into three periods: pre-Behcet, Behcet, and post-Behcet. Although similar clinical manifestations were mentioned in Hippocratic writings, clear examples of the symptomatic triad were not reported until the first quarter of this century. Since 1937, Behcet's disease has been a focus of active research. Exciting results concerning the genetics, immunology, molecular biology, diagnosis, and treatment of Behcet's disease have been obtained. It is hoped that the near future will bring additional discoveries to help solving difficulties in Behcet's disease.