Active Ocular involvement in iraqi Patients with Behçet's Disease

To assess the prevalence of active eye involvement in Iraqi patients with BD and to evaluate the potential relationship between active eye disease with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at 64 patients with Behçet's disease diagnosed according to the International Study Group for Behçet's disease. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Comprehensive ophthalmological examination was to assess ocular involvement.

Mean age of patients was 32.3(8.9) years. Males were 81.3%. Active ocular involvement by Behçet's disease was 27 patients (54%). The risk of having active ocular BD was significantly increased 29, 265 folds in male patients, (p= 0.033). genital ulcers increased risk of having active ocular involvement by 19.971 folds (p=0.05). Smoking increases the chance of having active eye involvement in BD by about 3.438 folds (p>0.05). No significant association between active ocular BD and age of the patient, HLA-B51 status, BMI score, family history of BD, duration of the disease, presence of oral ulcers, headache, joint involvement, skin rash, erythrocyte sedimentation rate(P>0.05).

Active ocular involvement by Behçet's disease was relatively common and correlated directly and significantly with male gender. This indicate that late diagnosis and treatment might cause these active eye manifestations.