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.