Syndrome, Behcet's

Behcet's syndrome is classically characterized by a triad of features, namely, ulcers in the mouth, ulcers of the genitalia and uveitis. The ulcers of the mouth and genitalia are typically recurring crops of aphthous ulcers. Uveitis is inflammation of a specialized area around the pupil of the eye, the uvea. Aside from the uvea, the disease can affect the retina (the visual screen at the back of the eye) and the optic nerve (the nerve from the eye to the brain). Arthritis is commonplace. Behcet's syndrome is a chronic inflammatory disorder. It involves the small blood vessels. The cause of Behcet's syndrome is not known. The disease is more frequent and severe in patients from the Eastern Mediterranean and Asia than those of European descent. The syndrome is named after a Turkish dermatologist Halushi Behcet (1889-1948) whose name has a cedilla under the "c". The accent is on the first syllable ("Be-") and the "t" in the second syllable is pronounced.