bone, joint, and muscle disorders
Behçet Disease
Symptoms of Behçet Disease
Almost everyone with Behçet disease has recurring, painful mouth sores, similar to severe canker sores ( Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis ). Mouth sores are usually the first symptom of Behçet disease. Sores may appear anywhere in the mouth, such as on the tongue, gums, and lining of the mouth, and often occur in clusters. The sores are round or oval, less than half an inch to about 4 inches (about 1 to 10 centimeters) in diameter, and shallow or deep with a yellowish center. The sores last 1 to 2 weeks. Although other kinds of mouth sores are very common (for example, cold sores caused by the herpes simplex virus), the sores caused by Behçet disease tend to last longer and be more severe. Sores may also appear on the genital organs. Sores on the penis, scrotum, or vulva tend to be painful. Sores in the vagina may be painless. People may have a fever and a general feeling of illness (malaise). Other symptoms appear days to years later: The eyes are affected in 25 to 75% of people. Part of the eye becomes inflamed intermittently. This inflammation (relapsing iridocyclitis or Uveitis ) causes eye pain, redness, sensitivity to light, and hazy vision. Several other eye problems can occur. If untreated, blindness can develop. Skin:Skin blisters and pus-filled pimples develop in about 80% of people. A slight injury, even a puncture from a hypodermic needle, can cause small red or pus-filled bumps to form. Painful reddish-purple bumps called erythema nodosum may occur on the legs. Joints:In about half of affected people, the knees and other large joints become painful. This relatively mild inflammation (arthritis) does not progress or damage tissue. Inflammation of blood vessels ( Overview of Vasculitis ) throughout the body can cause blood clots to form in the arteries and bulges (aneurysms) to develop in weakened blood vessel walls. Vasculitis can result in strokes if arteries to the brain are affected. It can cause kidney damage if arteries to the kidneys are affected. If arteries in the lungs are affected, bleeding may occur, and people may cough up blood. Symptoms may include discomfort and pain in the abdomen, cramping, diarrhea, and sores in the intestines. Symptoms may be similar to those caused by ( Inflammation of the brain or spinal cord is less common but has serious consequences. People may have a headache first. Other symptoms include a fever and stiff neck (symptoms of Introduction to Meningitis ), confusion, and loss of coordination. Changes in personality and memory loss may develop years later. 