Incidence, prevalence and clinical characteristics of Behcets disease in southern Sweden

• Objective. To study the incidence, prevalence and clinical characteristics of Behc, ets disease (BD) in a defined population in southern Sweden. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMethods. The study area consists of three health-care districts with an adult population (andgt;= 15 years) of 809 317 on 1 January 2011 (25% of non-Swedish ancestry), situated in Skane, the southernmost county in Sweden. Patients were identified using clinical registries in all the five hospitals within the study area. Only patients fulfilling the International Study Group criteria for diagnosis of BD were included. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanResults. Forty patients (13 women) fulfilling the diagnosis criteria for BD (70% of non-Swedish ancestry) were identified. The point prevalence of BD on 1 January 2011 was 4.9/100 000 adults (95% CI 3.4, 6.5) and was higher among the population of non-Swedish ancestry (13.6 vs 2.0/100 000, Pandlt;0.001), and higher among men (6.8 vs 3.2/100 000, P=0.019). There were 20 incident cases (diagnosed in Sweden between 1997 and 2010). The annual incidence rate was 0.2/100 000 adults (95% CI 0.1, 0.3) and was higher among the population of non-Swedish ancestry (0.6 vs 0.1/100 000, Pandlt;0.001). The incidence was 0.3/100 000 adults in men and 0.1/100 000 in women, P = 0.143. During the course of the disease, 100% of the patients developed oral ulceration, 80% genital ulcers, 88% skin lesions, 53% eye disease, 40% arthritis/arthralgia and 20% venous thrombosis. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanConclusion. The prevalence of BD is higher in Sweden than previously reported, mainly due to immigration. The incidence of BD remains elevated for immigrants from high-prevalence regions even long after settling in Sweden.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Reumatologi och inflammation (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Rheumatology and Autoimmunity (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

incidence

prevalence

Behcets disease

population-based study

epidemiology

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)