Ophthalmologic manifestation of Behcet's disease

ABSTRACT

Loss of vision in Behcet's disease is one of the most common, as well as one of the most serious, of its varied manifestations. Total blindness may often be the eventual outcome. The underlying problem in the eye, as well as in other organ systems, is an occlusive vasculitis. Although the most common ocular symptom is that of iridocyclitis, the presence of retinovascular lesions, especially necrotizing retinitis, is well known but often obscured by the severity of the anterior reaction, which precludes a good view of the retina. While Behcet's disease is characterized by spontaneous remissions and relapses, no external factors have been found to explain the length of remissions. Blindness, which occurs in up to 25% of patients, is one of the major causes of permanent disability.