Similarities and differences between Behçet's disease and Crohn's disease

Abstract

Behçet’s disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory condition with multisystem involvement. Approximately 10%-15% of patients present with gastrointestinal involvement. Involved sites and the endoscopic view usually resemble Crohn’s disease (CD). In addition to intestinal involvement, oral mucosa, the eyes, skin, and joints are commonly affected. No pathognomonic laboratory test is available for the diagnosis of either disease. Management approaches are also similar in various aspects. Differentiating BD from CD is highly challenging. In this article, the similarities and differences between BD and CD in terms of epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, clinical and imaging findings, and histopathological and therapeutic approaches are reviewed.

Keywords: Behçet’s disease, Crohn’s disease

Core tip: Behçet’s disease and Crohn’s disease are chronic inflammatory conditions caused by lesions similar to those seen in the bowels. There are similar and different clinical findings, however both diseases show intestinal inflammation. The differential diagnosis may be difficult when the symptoms of the two disease processes are very similar. This review focuses on the similar and different characteristics of Behçet’s disease and Crohn’s disease.