Coexistence of Behçet's Disease and Ankylosing Spondylitis

Received: May 12, 2010 Accepted: May 21, 2010 Correspondence: Canan Celik, M.D. Ankara Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon Egitim ve Arastirma Hastanesi, 2. Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon Klinigi, 06100 Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey. Tel: +90 312 310 32 30 e-mail: ccelik@hotmail.com ©2011 Turkish League Against Rheumatism. All rights reserved. Whether Behcet’s disease (BD) is of the seronegative spondyloarthropathy (SSpA) group has been a subject of debate for many years.[1] Behcet’s syndrome is now not considered to belong to the SSpA group[2] but is considered to be a systemic vasculitis.[3,4] There are many reasons why BD should not be classified as one of the SSpA group.[3] On the basis of some findings, including the lack of association with HLA B27,[2] the lack of familial association, and the association with HLA B51 rather than the B27 cross-reactive group, it is suggested that BD is not a seronegative spondyloarthropathy.[3] However, back pain is distinctly uncommon, and studies of sacroiliac joint involvement have not demonstrated an increased prevalence in Behcet’s patients.[4-5] The coexistence of BD and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has been rarely reported in the literature.[6] It was reported that AS was seen in 1.5% of Behcet’s patients in Iran, which is 2.43 times greater than the general population, and this data showed that BD is one of the causes of secondary AS.[4]