Superficial venous thrombosis in Behçet’s disease: a case report and a review of the literature

Abstract

Behçet’s disease is a relapsing–remitting vasculitis that affects both arterial and venous vessels of various sizes. A 48-year-old man with Behçet’s disease was seen at the outpatient clinic of our hospital for painful lesions on his left leg. Physical examination showed two tender erythematous linear indurations on the medial side of the left thigh and calf, of about 3 cm and 10 cm in length, respectively. Duplex ultrasonography revealed echogenic material in the lumen of collateral superficial veins, with no extension to the deep venous system. The patient was started on once-daily subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin in combination with elastic compression stockings, with spectacular improvement. Superficial venous thrombosis is a common manifestation of Behçet’s disease, and the diagnosis is based on clinical features. Superficial venous thrombosis has a dual prognostic value: on one hand, it should raise the suspicion of concomitant deep venous and/or arterial involvement, and on the other hand, it may predict the development of future severe visceral manifestations.