Spinal cord involvement in Behçet's disease.

BACKGROUND

Spinal cord involvement in Behçet's disease is not well studied.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical, laboratory and magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of spinal cord involvement in Behçet's disease.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 10 spinal cord involvements in seven patients with Behçet's disease.

RESULTS

The median age of onset for spinal cord involvement was 32 (23-45 years). Two patients showed a secondary progressive course. Cerebrospinal fluid findings revealed mild to moderate pleocytosis and/or elevated protein levels. In eight spinal cord involvements, the lesion was longer than three vertebrae. Serum anti-aquaporin-4 antibody was negative in all four patients tested.

CONCLUSIONS

Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis is a characteristic manifestation of spinal cord involvement in Behçet's disease.