Exudative pleural effusion associated with Behcet's disease

Abstract

Background: Behcet's disease is a rare immune mediated small vessel systemic vasculitis in which diagnosis is mainly clinical and requires the presence of recurrent oral ulcers and at least two additional criteria that includes recurrent mouth and genital ulcers, skin lesions, eye inflammation (uveitis) and a positive pathergy reaction.
Methods: The case records of an 82 year old female Nigerian who presented to the medical outpatient clinic of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa with a six months' history of recurrent oral ulcers, diarrhoea, arthralgia, blurring of vision, breathlessness, abdominal pain and extreme weakness was reviewed.
Results: She responded well to oral corticosteroids.
Conclusion: Behcet's disease should be given consideration in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion in the presence of recurrent mucosal ulcers.

Keywords: Behcet’s disease, Pleural effusion, uveitis, vasculitis