Living with Behcet disease
An inflammatory condition that affects blood vessels, often causing mouth sores and eye, skin, and joint problems.
Understanding Behcet disease
It most often affects small blood vessels in the mouth, genitals, skin, and eyes. Painful mouth sores are usually the first sign. Eye inflammation (uveitis) occurs in more than half of people, and joint swelling is also common. It can begin from childhood to adulthood.
Signs & symptoms
Symptoms vary from person to person. GARD lists these among the most common:
- Painful mouth sores
- Genital sores
- Acne-like bumps and red tender nodules on the skin
- Eye inflammation and light sensitivity
- Swollen, painful joints (arthritis)
- Fever, headache, and fatigue
Not everyone has every symptom. GARD's list comes from the Human Phenotype Ontology.
Diagnosis
- 1Talk with your doctor
Share the symptoms you've noticed, when they started and your family health history. Notes and photos can help.
- 2See a specialist
Specialists who may be involved include autoimmune and inflammatory disease specialists, brain and nervous system specialists, eye disease specialists and kidney specialists.
- 3Ask which tests can help
Your care team will decide which exams and tests can confirm the diagnosis.
- 4Connect with expert centers
Autoimmune Association, Global Autoimmune Institute and Vasculitis Foundation may keep lists of experts for this condition.
Care & treatment
- Care team
- autoimmune and inflammatory disease specialists (rheumatologists); Brain and nervous system specialists (neurologists); Eye disease specialists (ophthalmologists); Kidney specialists (nephrologists)
- Expert care
- Expert lists: Autoimmune Association, Global Autoimmune Institute, Vasculitis Foundation
- Treatment
- GARD doesn't list specific treatments for this condition. Your care team will tailor care to your symptoms.
- Research
- Clinical trials and observational studies may be options. See the research section below.
General information, not medical advice. Your care team makes the decisions.
Everyday life
Living with a rare condition is easier with support.
- Connect with Autoimmune Association and other patient organizations
- Keep notes on symptoms, changes and questions for appointments
- Ask about patient registries that help research
- Look into financial aid and travel resources for care visits
Quick facts
GARD describes this as swelling (inflammation) of blood vessels. It doesn't describe a specific cause for this condition yet.
Also known as: adamantiades-behcet disease; bd; bechet syndrome; behcet syndrome; behcet's disease; behcet's syndrome
Patient organizations
- Autoimmune AssociationBehcet disease · United States
- Global Autoimmune InstituteBehcet disease · United States
- Vasculitis FoundationBehcet disease · United States
- American Behcet's Disease AssociationBehcet disease · United States
- The International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory ArthritisBehcet disease · United States
- The Lauren Currie Twilight FoundationBehcet disease · Epilepsy Foundation
- National Kidney FoundationKidney diseases · United States
- Renal Support NetworkKidney diseases · United States
You are more than your diagnosis
Perspectives from people navigating life with Behcet disease.
Explore research for Behcet disease
Explore actively recruiting Behcet disease studies with HealthSpark.
Find actively recruiting studies for Behcet disease with HealthSpark. Share your city to explore research near you.
- Recruiting studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
- Share your city to look for research near you
- Eligibility is confirmed by the study team
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Powered by HealthSpark, our AI chat helper · Study information from ClinicalTrials.gov · Eligibility is confirmed by the study team.
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