Surgical experience with Vasculo-Behçet's disease

Abstract We report nine patients with Behçet's disease, among them there were 11 vascular lesions. Seven arterial aneurysms were seen in six patients; two abdominal aortic, one carotid, three popliteal and femoral, and one pulmonary artery. Operations performed were patch closure of a perforated wall of the aortic and carotid aneurysms, vascular reconstruction using autogenous saphenous vein graft for the femoral and popliteal aneurysms, and left lower lobectomy for the pulmonary arterial aneurysm. All six patients tolerated the initial procedure well, however, three required reoperations for anastomotic leakage. On reoperation, it was impossible to reconstruct the vascular flow in two patients, and one subsequently died. Three patients had venous lesions. Two patients with deep femoral vein thrombosis received conservative treatment with a satisfactory outcome, and one patient with Budd-Chiari syndrome secondary to thrombotic occlusion of the inferior vena underwent cavoatrial bypass and is in satisfactory condition 4 years postoperatively.