Evaluation of transcranial doppler in neuro-Behcet's disease patients

ABSTRACT

To study the value of transcranial Doppler [TCD] in patients with neuro-Behcet's disease [Neuro-BD] and to correlate the findings with the MRI results. This study included 15 patients fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of international study group for Behcet's disease. MRI brain was done and evaluated for the presence of parenchymal lesions. Bilateral transcranial Doppler ultrasound of the middle [MCA], anterior [ACA] and posterior [PCA] cerebral arteries were performed in patient and control groups. TCD parameters were compared between 15 patients and age and sex matched control subjects. We found 12 [80%] patients had single or multiple brain lesions on MRI. Most of these lesions were of high signal intensity on T2-weighted images and located in the brainstem, basal ganglia and deep white matter region. TCD findings were abnormal in 5 [33.3%] patients. Pulsatility and resistivity indices of the MCA were significantly higher in patients than in normal control [p<0.001]. The mean blood flow velocity of the MCA and ACA was marginally reduced in patients with neuro-BD than in healthy controls, but did not reach a statistical significance [p>0.05]. No significant relation was found between abnormal MRI lesions and TCD parameters. Cerebral hemodynamics might be affected in patients with Behcet's disease compared with healthy controls. TCD may be a useful tool in the evaluation of patients with neuro-Behcet's disease