Screening for familial disease presence in first-degree relatives of Behçet's disease patients: Is measurement of common femoral vein wall thickness valuable for the diagnosis?

Objectives: We aimed to assess first-degree relatives (FDRs) of Behçet's disease (BD) patients for the presence of clinical symptoms and signs of BD and evaluate common femoral vein (CFV) wall thickness measurement for the diagnosis.

Methods: Patients with BD (n = 129) and FDRs (n = 230) of these patients were included. FDRs were questioned in terms of BD symptoms by phone. Pathergy test and CFV wall thickness measurement were performed among 111 FDRs who accepted the clinical assessment. Clinical assessment groups were classified according to the criteria sets for BD. FDRs who did not meet the criteria sets and had at least one clinical finding in addition to oral aphthae (OA) were categorized as the 'suspected BD'.

Results: : We observed increased frequency of isolated BD manifestations in FDRs. Ten FDRs were diagnosed with BD during clinical evaluation. A significantly increased CFV wall thickness was observed in FDRs of BD patients fulfilling diagnostic BD criteria (P < .001 for both sides) and also in those with suspected BD group (P < .05 for both sides). The presence of OA, genital ulcer, folliculitis, or erythema nodosum was associated with increased CFV wall thickness (P < .05).

Conclusion: Our results suggest that the CFV wall thickness measurement can be used in the diagnosis of familial BD.