Comparison of clinical characteristics of patients with Behҫet’s disease in two different geographical areas in the United States
Department
Internal Medicine
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
The Egyptian Rheumatologist
Abstract
Aim of the work: The current data regarding regional differences in the characteristics of Behҫet disease (BD) within the United States are scarce. The aim of the study is to explore these differences in two distinct regions of the United States: Northeast and Southeast.
Patients and Methods: This chart review study was conducted at three medical centers. Medical records from patients with ICD-9/10 (136.1/M25.2) codes for BD between 2012 and 2019 were reviewed. Cases included fulfilled the international criteria for BD (ICBD) and International Study Group (ISG) criteria. Data on demographics, clinical and laboratory features was collected. Characteristics were compared by geographic region, sex, and race/ethnicity.
Results: A total of 153 patients met ICBD criteria; 77 Northeast and 76 Southeast. The majority of the patients were female (73 %), and white race (73 %), with and median age at diagnosis of 31 years. There was a greater proportion of White non-Hispanic patients in southeast US (85.3 % vs 61 %) and more Hispanic in Northeast (11 % vs 0 %). Females had a higher incidence of genital ulcers (92.5 % vs 69 %, p = 0.01) and arthralgia (34.2 % vs 14.3 %, p = 0.03). Similar trends of race/ethnicity were found using ISG criteria, but no differences in clinical characteristics. Males were more frequent in patients with positive HLA-B51 (50 %) vs negative (22.6 %) (p = 0.048), associated with fewer genital ulcers (55.6 % vs 87 %, p = 0.013), and more gastrointestinal involvement (50 % vs 16.1 %, p = 0.01).
Conclusion: In the US, few differences in demographic and clinical features were observed among patients with BD in two different geographical regions.
First Page
187
Last Page
191
DOI
10.1016/j.ejr.2025.06.002
Volume
47
Issue
4
Publication Date
10-1-2025
Recommended Citation
Ahmed, H., Sattui, S. E., Sun, D., Alkassm, A., & Gaffo, A. (2025). Comparison of clinical characteristics of patients with Behҫet’s disease in two different geographical areas in the United States. The Egyptian Rheumatologist, 47 (4), 187-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejr.2025.06.002