Introduction:
Behcet’s disease is a vasculitis affecting small to medium and even
large vessels (arteries and veins). It is primarily characterized by
recurrent oral ulcers, genital ulcers, skin and ophthalmological
manifestations such as uveitis. It is most prevalent in the ancient silk
road from Eastern Asia to the Mediterranean. It is common in Turkey,
with a prevalence of 350/100,000 population. Cases have been reported in
Northern America and Europe as well. This syndrome can affect males and
females in most regions, typically between 20-40 years of age at the
onset of the disease. Carriers of HLA-B5 and HLA-B51 are more prone to
develop Behcet’s disease than non-carriers. It is thought that an
infectious or environmental antigen triggering an autoimmune response in
genetically predisposed individuals is behind its pathogenesis.
Diagnostic criteria for Behcet’s disease require the presence of oral
ulcers and any of the following: genital ulcers, typical eye lesions,
typical skin lesions, or a positive pathergy test [1]. Treatment of
Behcet’s disease depends on its manifestation, whether oro-genital
ulcers, ocular disease, vasculitis, arthritis, gastrointestinal or
neurological manifestations. Recurrent oro-genital ulcers are usually
treated with colchicine alone. At the same time, significant
manifestations like posterior uveitis, vasculitis, and gastrointestinal
disease usually require high-dose glucocorticoid along with another
immunosuppressive agent. [2].
Here, we present a 37-year-old Middle Eastern male patient with Behcet’s
disease with recurrent episodes of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss
that responded well to oral prednisolone, Infliximab, and Azathioprine.