EDITORIALS
Behçet’s disease: global epidemiology of an Old Silk Road disease
Department of Ophthalmology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
Correspondence to:
Hiroshi Keino, Department of Ophthalmology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan 181-8611; hirojunharu@aol.com
Although much is yet to be discovered about Behçet’s disease, genetic, environmental and infectious factors are thought to play a role in its development
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Behçet’s disease is a multisystem disorder named after the Turkish dermatologist, Hulusi Behçet (1889–1948), who recognised and reported in 1937 a triad of symptoms consisting of recurrent eye inflammation, oral ulcers and genital ulcers.1 The disease had also been alluded to in descriptions by physicians as far back as Hippocrates.2 Behçet’s disease is particularly common in the Far East and the Mediterranean basin, and is frequently noted between the 30th and 45th degree latitudes in Asian and European populations,3 corresponding to the Old Silk Road, an ancient trading route stretching between the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Far East. In contrast, this disorder is uncommon in the American continents, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa.3
The underlying pathological process of Behçet’s disease is a systemic occlusive vasculitis,4 resulting in the four major clinical manifestations of (1) recurrent and chronic intraocular inflammation, (2) recurrent aphthous ulcers of the mouth, (3) genital ulcers
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
- Full Text
- Full Text (PDF)
- Submit a response
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me when eLetters are posted
- Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in this journal
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Topic Collections
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
