COVID-19 in patients with Behcet's disease: Outcomes and rate of Behcet's exacerbations in a retrospective cohort

Objectives The aim of this study is to investigate the outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in our cohort of Behcet's disease (BD) patients and to reveal the rate of BD exacerbations due to COVID-19. Methods Patients who have been followed with a diagnosis of BD were retrospectively investigated for a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 polymerized chain reaction (PCR) test. Data regarding demographics, clinical features and COVID-19 outcomes were collected from medical records for patients with a positive PCR. PCR-positive patients were reached via phone numbers, and 'Behcet's Disease Current Activity Form' (BDCAF) scores for pre- and post-COVID-19 BD symptoms were calculated. Results Out of a total 648 BD patients, 59 were detected to have a positive PCR test. Three of the 59 patients (5.0%) were found to be hospitalized, none of them was admitted to the ICU or died. An increasing trend in the frequency of comorbid diseases and older age was observed in hospitalized patients. 32.2% of BD patients suffered from exacerbation of at least one symptom related to BD. Conclusions We observed no ICU admission or mortality with COVID-19 in our BD patient cohort. A substantial number of patients suffered from exacerbation of BD symptoms.

Automated summary

This study aims to investigate the outcomes of COVID-19 in Behcet's disease patients and reveal the rate of BD exacerbations due to COVID-19.