Behçet's disease (syndrome) with myalgia and its response to intravenous amino acids: a case series.

OBJECTIVE

To present a case series of patients with refractory Behçet's disease who presented with myalgia and with signs such as mouth and genital ulcerations and skin lesions and were treated with intravenous amino acids.

DESIGN AND

SETTING

Case series of patients with Behçet's Disease who presented to a clinical practice devoted to Pain Medicine and Neurology between 2000 and 2009 for treatment of myalgia.

METHODS

All patients were treated with prednisone 60 mg by mouth daily for exacerbations of their disease. When this failed, eleven patients received intravenous administration of amino acids (Procalamine).

RESULTS

Ten of eleven patients had a complete resolution of their Behçet's exacerbation, including myalgia; their painful ulcers became painless and began to heal with the infusion of amino acids for 2-5 days.

CONCLUSION

Physicians treating myalgia should observe for signs of Behçet's disease, such as oral and genital ulcerations, and consider intravenous amino acids if steroids are not effective.