Gastrointestinal dysmotility complicating Behçet's syndrome: description of a newly recognised clinical phenotype

Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2023 Oct;41(10):2087-2092. doi: 10.55563/clinexprheumatol/hjs8yp. Epub 2023 Oct 30.

Abstract

Objectives: Gastrointestinal dysmotility may arise in a variety of auto-immune and auto-inflammatory diseases and hitherto has not been described in Behçet's syndrome (BS).

Methods: We present data on a cohort of seven patients under our care who presented with symptoms of and investigations compatible with an immune associated disorder of gastrointestinal motility, or enteric neuropathy.

Results: We describe the clinical features and investigation results. We undertook a trial of a novel treatment in the disease, apheresis, and noted a response not only to the enteric neuropathy but also to the systemic features of the disease, despite previous maximal immunosuppressive therapy in most cases.

Conclusions: Gastrointestinal dysmotility may arise in BS and is effectively treated by apheresis. The mechanism by which this response is made immunologically requires to be elucidated in future studies.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Behcet Syndrome* / complications
  • Behcet Syndrome* / diagnosis
  • Behcet Syndrome* / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction* / complications
  • Phenotype