Papulopustular skin lesions are seen more frequently in patients with Behçet's syndrome who have arthritis: a controlled and masked study

• Published in: Annals of the rheumatic diseases Vol. 60; no. 11; pp. 1074 - 1076
• Main Authors: Diri, E, Mat, C, Hamuryudan, V, Yurdakul, S, Hızlı, N, Yazıcı, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism 01-11-2001; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group Ltd; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Acne; Acneiform Eruptions - complications; Adult; Analysis; Analysis of Variance; Arthritis; Arthritis - complications; Back pain; Behcet Syndrome - complications; Behcet's disease; Behçet's syndrome; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Causes of; Complications and side effects; Concise Report; Erythema; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Outpatient care facilities; Pathogenesis; Patients; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Psoriatic arthritis; pustolosis; reactive arthritis; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Single-Blind Method; Skin lesions; Statistics, Nonparametric; Ulcers; Variance analysis; Vein & artery diseases; Turkey; Human; Skin disease; Prevalence; Stomatology; Pustulosis dermatosis; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Clinical form; Cardiovascular disease; Inflammatory joint disease; Arthritis; Inflammation; Epidemiology; Behçet syndrome; Genital diseases; Vascular disease; Symptomatology; Eye disease; Association; Systemic disease; Arthropathy; Papular dermatosis; Public health
• ISSN: 0003-4967; 1468-2060
• DOI: 10.1136/ard.60.11.1074

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of acneiform skin lesions (comedones, papules, and pustules) in patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS) with arthritis. METHODS Study groups included 44 patients with BS with arthritis (32 men, 12 women, mean (SD) age 37.8 (8.9)), 42 patients with BS without arthritis (31 men, 11 women, mean age 35.5 (6.4)), 21 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (five men, 16 women, mean age 48.8 (14)), and 33 healthy volunteers (28 men, five women, mean age 40.1 (8.1)). All probands and controls were examined by a rheumatologist and a dermatologist, in a prospective and masked protocol. An ophthalmological evaluation was performed if necessary. Skin lesions, including comedones, papules, and pustules, were counted and scored as 0: absent, 1: 1–5, 2: 6–10, 3: 11–15, 4: 16–20, and 5: >20. RESULTS Although there was no significant difference between the four groups in the prevalence of comedones, the number of papules and pustules was significantly higher in patients with BS with arthritis (p=0.0037 for papules and p<0.0001 for pustules) than in the remaining three groups. CONCLUSION Acneiform skin lesions (papules and pustules) seem to be more frequent in patients with BS with arthritis. This suggest that the arthritis seen in BS may possibly be related to acne associated arthritis.