Pregnancy and reproductive care in Behçet's disease: clinical excellence across the maternal journey.

Abstract

Introduction: Behçet's disease (BD) is a rare, multisystem inflammatory disorder predominantly affecting women during their reproductive years. Its potential impact on pregnancy outcomes makes understanding optimal management strategies crucial. Given the complexity and variability of this disease during pregnancy, there is a compelling need to review current evidence to guide clinical practice and improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Areas covered: This narrative review consolidates recent literature from database inception to June 2025, focusing on disease course, reproductive implications, and obstetric outcomes in women with BD. It evaluates the safety of immunosuppressive therapies during conception, pregnancy, and lactation. The review highlights key aspects such as preconception planning, disease monitoring, delivery considerations, and postpartum care, drawing from a broad spectrum of clinical research, guidelines, and expert opinions.

Expert opinion: The current evidence suggests that with personalized, multidisciplinary care and careful medication management, many women with BD can experience successful pregnancies. While existing data support the safety of several therapies and highlight the importance of preconception counseling, significant gaps remain due to limited high-quality prospective studies. Advancements in understanding disease mechanisms, developing standardized protocols, and establishing evidence-based guidelines are necessary to optimize care and further improve reproductive outcomes in this patient population.