Abstract Background Behçet’s disease (BD) is a systemic inflammatory vasculitis characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers, ocular inflammation, and various cutaneous manifestations. Although gastrointestinal symptoms are observed in approximately 50% of BD patients, intestinal involvement remains relatively uncommon. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features and treatment strategies for patients diagnosed with intestinal BD at a single center in Korea. Methods This retrospective study encompassed 327 patients who fulfilled the International Study Group criteria for BD, all of whom were followed at a tertiary referral center between November 2008 and September 2023. Of these, 261 patients were diagnosed with BD without GI involvement, while 66 patients had intestinal BD. Comprehensive data, including demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and treatment modalities, were meticulously gathered and analyzed. A comparative evaluation was performed between the two groups. Results The mean age of the 327 patients with BD was 43.42 years. Among the laboratory findings, HLA-B51 demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the groups. Regarding clinical manifestations, uveitis, skin lesions, arthritis, abdominal pain, and gastrointestinal bleeding were significantly more prevalent in one group. In terms of treatment, the use of 5-ASA, azathioprine(AZA), and adalimumab exhibited notable differences between the two groups. Additionally, patients with intestinal BD experienced higher rates of surgical interventions and hospitalizations compared to those with BD without gastrointestinal involvement. Conclusion In this cohort of Korean patients with intestinal BD, there was a higher proportion of females, although this difference was not statistically significant. Laboratory findings revealed a lower prevalence of HLA-B51 among patients with intestinal BD. Clinical manifestations also demonstrated a reduced incidence of uveitis, skin lesions, and arthritis in the intestinal BD group. Regarding treatment, there was a higher frequency of 5-ASA, AZA, and adalimumab use in patients with intestinal BD. Additionally, patients with intestinal BD had an increased rate of surgical interventions and hospitalizations compared to those without gastrointestinal involvement. References: 1. Lee HJ, Kim YG, Choi JH, et al. Incidence and clinical outcomes of intestinal Behçet’s disease in Korea, 2011–2014: a nationwide population-based study. J Gastroenterol. 2017;52(3):248-254. 2. Ideguchi H, Suda A, Takeno M, et al. Gastrointestinal manifestations of Behçet’s disease in Japan: a study of 43 patients. Rheumatol Int. 2014;34(6):851-856. 3. Naganuma M, Iwao Y, Mori T, et al. Prediction of the clinical course of Behçet’s colitis according to macroscopic classification by colonoscopy. Endoscopy. 2000;32(8):624-629. 4. Lee CR, Kim WH, Cho YS, et al. Surgical treatment of intestinal Behçet’s disease: results from a single-center experience. Yonsei Med J. 1997;38(6):455-460. Conflict of interest: Kim, Woo Jin: No conflict of interest Park, Su Bum: No conflict of interest Choi, Cheol Woong: No conflict of interest Jang, Jinook: No conflict of interest Lee, Cheol Min: No conflict of interest
Kim et al. (Thu,) studied this question.