Background/Purpose: To evaluate the clinical presentation of patients with Morbus Behçet (MB) in a cohort from Switzerland and to calculate the prevalence of MB in Switzerland. To identify differences in diagnostic delay and clinical presentation regarding Swiss or non-Swiss ethnic background.

Methods: MB patients fulfilling the revised International Criteria for Behçet’s Disease were recorded in a database. Medical history, clinical and laboratory examinations were performed at inclusion and at regular intervals. Disease severity was calculated with respect to major organ affections and their respective intensity. Prevalence was calculated based on geographic distribution of the patients and the respective population density (data of the federal statistical office).

Results: 52 MB patients were recorded with a mean age of 47.8 years (range 34-57) at inclusion into the database. Male to female distribution was almost equal (54% male, 46% female, ns). Ethnic background was Swiss in 61%, and Turkish, South-East European, Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Indian, and other in the remaining patients. Median time from onset of first symptoms to diagnosis was 8 years in the entire cohort (range 2.8 – 17) with a tendency to delayed diagnosis in Swiss versus non-Swiss background (9 versus 7 years, respectively). Disease severity reached the highest mean values of 5 points (range 4-7) at a mean age of 36.4 years (range 27-44). Women showed a higher severity score than men (6 versus 5 points, p=0.02). All patients were diagnosed at the time of maximum disease intensity with 96% of patients receiving medication at time of inclusion into the database. Most frequent medication were systemic and topic glucocorticoids (80 and 60%, repectively), azathioprine 60%), colchicine (52%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (50%), methotrexate (40%), infliximab (30%), adalimumab and cyclosporine (24% each). We calculated a prevalence of 5.8 / 100.000 inhabitants in Switzerland.

Conclusion: MB patients in Switzerland are diagnosed with substantial delay in time and at maximum intensity of disease severity regardless of their ethnic background. The higher disease severity in women might reflect a tendency to delayed diagnosis due to a lack of knowledge of MB manifestations in women. The calculated prevalence of 5.8 is within mid-European range of e.g. 4.9 in Germany and 7.1 in France.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/characterization-and-prevalence-of-morbus-behcet-in-switzerland/