Background: Behcet disease (BD) is a multisystemic, chronic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology with diffuse clinical manifestations including the cardiovascular system.
Aim of the work: To assess left ventricular (LV) function and thoracic aorta elastic properties in BD patients using Doppler echocardiography and to correlate echocardiographic findings with disease activity.
Patients and methods: The LV functions and thoracic aorta elastic properties were assessed in 30 BD patients and 30 controls using conventional and Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) echocardiography.
Disease activity was evaluated using Behcet’s disease current activity form (BDCAF).
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), cholesterol and triglyceride levels were measured.
Results: In BD patients, ESR and CRP were significantly elevated while cholesterol and triglycerides were comparable to the levels in the control. In conventional echocardiography, BD patients had significantly higher aortic diastolic diameter (p