Tarek Goda¹, Heba Selim¹, Wafaa Samir¹, Ahmed Badawi¹, Amal Bakry²

Departments of Neurology¹, Rheumatology², Zagazig University; Egypt

Background: Behçet disease (BD) is a multisystem vasculitis of unknown origin in which neurologic involvement is well described. Objective: To describe and categorize neurological presentations in Behçet’s disease. Methods: We retrospectively studied 30 patients (22 men, 8 women) with neuro-Behçet’s disease (NBD) with mean age 36±2.3 years, selected from neurology and rheumatology departments, Zagazig university hospitals, during period from July 2010 to July 2012. All patients fulfilled the International Study group criteria for the diagnosis of Behçet’s disease. Results: Three main patterns of neurological presentation are proposed. First, a parenchymal CNS pattern (the commonest), which included three common forms: brain stem syndrome (26.6%), diffuse form (with pseudobulbar signs) (20%) and cerebral stroke-like form (10%); and the least common form: myelopathy (3.3%). Second pattern was intracranial hypertension (IH) (30%). The third one was meningitis-like pattern (10%). Conclusion: BD should be routinely looked for in adult patients, especially males, in their third and fourth decades who present with intracranial hypertension, brain stem syndrome, pseudobulbar palsy, stroke, meningitis or myelopathy. [Egypt J Neurol Psychiat Neurosurg.  2013; 50(3): 311-314]

 Key words: Behçet disease, neurological  involvement