Behcet’s Disease and Infliximab: Case Report

Recurrent oral and genital ulceration of Behcet’s disease can be very distressing. Usually they are responsive to treatment with topical steroids, local anaesthetics, oral colchicine and, in severe cases, steroids and even immuno-suppressive medications such as azathioprine, methotrexate and thalidomide.

Researchers from the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Centre, Jerusalem, describe a case of Behcet’s syndrome in a 48-year old woman whose oral ulcers were resistant to a wide range of topical and systemic treatments and remained unchanged for 7 weeks. Administration of a single dose of infliximab resulted in complete remission and recovery of the mouth aphtae within 7 days. The study authors also review the current English medical literature and summarize 5 more cases where anti-TNF agents were used in the treatment of recalcitrant orogenital ulceration in Behcet’s disease.(Source: Almoznino G, Ben-Chetrit E. Infliximab for the treatment of resistant oral ulcers in Behcet’s disease: a case report and review of the literature. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2007; 25(4 Suppl 45): S99-102. : PubMed : December 2007)