Cardiovascular Involvement in Behçet's Disease

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate left and right ventricular functions at rest by pulsed-wave Doppler and tissue Doppler echocardiographymethods in patients with Behçet s disease (BD) without overt cardiovascular disease, and compare with age and sex matched subjects. Patients and methods: Fifty-four patients with BD (12 males, 42 females; mean age 35±8 years; range 18 to 51 years) without cardiovascularsymptoms, and 36 age-matched controls (12 males, 24 females; mean age 33±5 years; range 18 to 47 years) were included. Cardiac functions wereevaluated by conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography. Results: Although conventional indices of left ventricular systolic function were similar in both groups, mitral annular systolic velocity was lower(p<0.001) and myocardial performance index was higher (p<0.001) in patients with BD compared to the controls. As an early diagnostic marker ofcontractile dysfunction, intra- and interventricular dyssynchrony were more common in patients with BD. In addition, mitral E/A ratio of <1 was morecommon (p<0.001), isovolumic relaxation time (p=0.032) and mitral deceleration time (p=0.037) were longer in patients with BD compared to thecontrol group. All Doppler parameters of right ventricular function were impaired in patients with BD. Atrial septal aneurysm was more frequent inpatients with BD than controls (p=0.007). Conclusion: Right ventricular and left ventricular function is impaired in patients with BD. Clinically silent cardiovascular involvement can bedetected early by tissue Doppler echocardiography even in asymptomatic patients with BD.