The clinical and radiological features and prevalence of Neuro-Behçet's Disease: A retrospective cohort multicenter study in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Neuro-Behçet's disease (NBD) is defined as primary neurological involvement in patients with systemic symptoms of BD. The variety of clinical presentations seen in NBD and the long list of similar conditions make diagnosis challenging. This retrospective study aimed to estimate the prevalence and describe neurological involvement in patients with Behçet's disease who presented to King Abdulaziz Medical Cities in Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, cohort study which utilized a non-probability consecutive sampling technique to include all patients diagnosed with NBD patients. All patients with BD (215) were screened for neurological symptoms. Thirty-five patients were found to be diagnosed with NBD. Outcomes were estimated using the modified Rankin scale (mRS).

RESULTS

In our cohort, one in six patients with BD was diagnosed with NBD. A total of 35 patients were diagnosed with NBD (mean age 27.56 ± 10.36 years; [2.88:1; Male: Female]). The main clinical features of NBD were headaches, weakness, unsteadiness, and dysarthria. The most commonly involved sites on imaging were the brainstem, diencephalon, cerebellum and basal ganglia. Oligocolonal bands were negative in all patients. Maintenance therapy most commonly included oral corticosteroids, azathioprine, and/or infliximab. Most patients received pulse corticosteroids alone when presenting with acute relapse. Half of our cohort was asymptomatic and three in four had favorable outcomes.

CONCLUSION

NBD is common among patients with BD in our population with most patients having favorable outcomes. Patients might have a wide array of symptoms which might make the diagnosis challenging.