Systemic Amyloidosis in Behçet's Disease

Abstract

Clinical features in two patients with Behçet's disease were dominated by "minor" manifestations of the disease—arthritis and central nervous system involvement in one, chronic stasis ulcers complicating thrombosis of the inferior vena cava in the other. In a third patient, the dominant clinical features were coincidental obstructive airway disease and cor pulmonale. Two patients developed a nephrotic syndrome; the third had intermittent trace proteinuria. Amyloidosis was proved by histologic examination in all three. The two patients examined post-mortem had no focus of chronic suppuration. There is a possibility that systemic amyloidosis is an intrinsic feature of Behçet's disease.