Behçet’s disease

Behçet’s disease (BD) is a rare systemic vasculitis characterized by aphthous mouth ulcers, genital ulcers, ocular lesions and other systemic manifestations. The causes of BD are unknown, but it is believed that the disease is basically due to an autoimmune process induced by an infectious or environmental agent in a genetically predisposed individual. The most potent risk factor for BD is the HLA-B51 allele located in the MHC locus on the chromosome 6p. More information on unlocking factors, histology, diagnosis and treatment of BD can be found here.