Behcet's disease in Bahrain, clinical and HLA findings

To study the clinical features and the HLA findings of Behcet's disease in Bahrain. Method: A retrospective study of nine patients with Behcet's disease from the Salmaniya Medical Complex who were treated over a 15-year period are analysed. The male to female ratio was 3.5:1. Oral ulcers were present in all patients, genital ulcers in 88.9%, skin lesions in 66.7%, ocular involvement in 44.4%, arthritis in 44.4%, epididymitis in 57% of the males, and DVT in 22.2%. HLA B5 was positive in 66.7% of the patients. 66.7% of the cases had the HLA B5 allele. Their clinical manifestations are similar to those reported in the other Gulf countries