Multislice CT pulmonary findings in Behçet's disease (report of 16 cases)

Pulmonary artery aneurysm is the best-defined type of pulmonary disease in Behçet's disease (BD) with an important morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to assess the contribution of high-resolution dynamic chest CT imaging for one of the most serious aspects of BD: pulmonary artery aneurysm and other pulmonary parenchymal involvement. Sixteen BD patients were recruited for this study, (14 men, 87.5%, and 2 women, 12.5%). All patients fulfilled the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria for classification of BD [International Study Group for Behçet's Disease, Lancet 335:1078-1080, (1990)]. All patients underwent thorough history taking, full clinical examination, and routine laboratory investigations. Plain chest X-rays and pulmonary CT angiography were performed on all patients in an attempt to assess the pulmonary vasculature and lung parenchyma. Pulmonary vascular abnormalities were as follows: pulmonary artery aneurysms of varying sizes in nine patients (56.3%%), main pulmonary artery ectasia in two patients (12.5%), pulmonary artery embolism in two patients (12.5%), venacaval thrombosis in seven patients (43.8%), and pulmonary venous varices in four patients (25%). Pulmonary parenchymal abnormalities were as follows: three patients (18.8%) with mild central bronchiectasis, one patient (6.3%) with atelectasis, one patient (6.3%) with subpleural nodule, and four patients (25%) with interstitial lung disease. Eight of the male patients were smokers. Multislice CT is useful in demonstrating the entire spectrum of thoracic manifestations of BD. Multislice CT is noninvasive and provides excellent delineation of the vessel lumen and wall and perivascular tissues, as well as detailed information concerning the lung parenchyma, pleura, and mediastinal structures. © Clinical Rheumatology 2006.