Neuro-Bechet’s Disease: A clinical review

OBJECTIVE: To assess the neurological complications of Behcet’s disease among Jordanian patients, and to relate these complications with the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies.

METHODS: Twenty-two patients with Neuro-Behcet’s disease admitted to King Hussein Medical Center, Amman, Jordan between January 1997 and August 1999, were evaluated clinically and by neuroimaging techniques. There were 17 males (77%), 5 females (23%), with a mean age of 36 years (range 18-51). Antiphospholipid antibodies were tested in all the patients.

RESULTS: Brain infarcts were seen in 18 cases; 12 in the anterior fossa, 6 in the posterior fossa, and 2 patients had spinal cord ischemia. Five patients had sinus thrombosis; 4 in the superior sagittal sinus, one in the sigmoid sinus, all were proved by magnetic resonance venogram. All patients were tested for antiphospholipid antibodies and showed negative results.

CONCLUSION: Brain infarcts are the most common neurological complications of Behcet’s disease, less common is sinus thrombosis, and we found no link between these complications and the presence of antiphosphplipid antibodies.