Criteria for diagnosis of Behcet's disease

Abstract

5 sets of criteria for diagnosis of Behcet's disease are in use—a problem which has hindered interpretation of different studies and collaborative research. An international study group, which included at least one proponent of 4 of the sets, was formed to derive new, internationally agreed diagnostic criteria for Behcet's disease. Data on 914 patients with Behçet's disease, from 12 centres in 7 countries, were compared with controls from the same centres. The new set of diagnostic criteria—which requires the presence of oral ulceration plus any two of genital ulceration, typical defined eye lesions, typical defined skin lesions, or a positive pathergy test—was simpler to use and had an improved discriminatory performance than its predecessors.