29th January 2024

Clinical features

Recurrent mouth ulcers are the hallmark of Behcet’s syndrome. They can be large, small or multiple. These are often in the inner lips but can also occur on the tongue, the roof of the mouth and occasionally in the throat. Ulcers often resolve within 10-14 days, although replacement with new ulcers can be frequent. Genital ulcers occur less frequently and affect 60-70% of people. Skin redness and pustules can resemble acne. Other skin manifestations include erythema nodosum and pathergy (an exaggerated skin reason occurring after trauma). Other symptoms include blurred vision, painful eyes (caused by anterior/posterior uveitis and retinal vasculitis), fatigue, headaches, myalgia, arthralgia and abdominal pain. 

Complications of disease include decreased vision and blindness, as well as meningitis. Vasculitis predisposes to venous blood clots and arterial aneurysms. 

Image Source: Wikipedia (2009). Aphthous_stomatiti, Licensed under a creative commons licence. Available for free at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphthous_stomatitis#/media/File:Aphtha2.jpg (Accessed:18 September 2023).