Headache in Behçet’s Disease

Abstract

Our objective is to describe the various neurologic manifestations of Behcet's syndrome with special attention to headache syndromes. Most recent studies have focused on data collection to better characterize the relatively rare disorder of neuro-Behcets (NBD). In patients with Behcet's disease (BD) who are experiencing headache, most are primary headache disorders, specifically tension type or migraines. Worsening headache can, however, be a sign of increased Behcets disease activity. Behcet's disease is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology. The prevalence of BD is most notable in countries along the ancient Silk Road, particularly the Middle East. BD occasionally has neurologic manifestations, further categorized into parenchymal and non-parenchymal syndromes. Headache is the most frequently reported neurological symptom of BD. Primary headaches are the most common headache type among patients with BD with comorbid headache disorders with debate regarding whether migraine or tension-type headache is most prevalent. Of the secondary causes of headache in BD, cerebral venous thrombosis is the most common.