Behcet's disease and renal failure

Abstract

Background. The aims of this study were (i) to investigate the prevalence of Behcet's disease (BD) among dialysis patients in Turkey, (ii) to report the clinical characteristics of patients with BD and endstage renal disease (ESRD), (iii) to evaluate the effect of ESRD on course and activity of BD and (iv) to analyse the published data about BD and renal failure. Methods. A questionnaire investigating BD among dialysis patients was submitted to 350 dialysis centres and we obtained the data for 20 596 patients from 331 dialysis centres. We submitted a second questionnaire regarding clinical characteristics of the patients with BD and ESRD. The PubMed and Web of Science databases were used for the analysis of BD and renal failure. Results. Fourteen patients with BD were determined and the prevalence of BD was 0.07% among 20 596 dialysis patients in Turkey. None of the patients has had a new manifestation of BD after initiation of haemodialysis treatment. The analysis of previous data about renal BD demonstrated 67 patients with renal failure. Conclusions. The most common cause of renal failure in BD is amyloidosis. Routine urine analysis and measurement of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels are needed for early diagnosis. Vascular access-related problems are common and the activity of BD appears to decrease in patients with ESRD after initiation of haemodialysis.