The advantages of MRI and MRA for diagnosing Behcet's disease and internal jugular vein thrombosis

Behcet's disease is a multisystem disorder characterized by recurrent aphtous ulcers of mucosal membranes, skin lesions, and vasculitis. The prevalence of vascular involvement is about 25% and this is the leading cause of death in Behcet's disease. Jugular vein involvement is an unusual manifestation of Behcet's disease. Medical insertion of needles into veins or arteries can induce thrombosis or aneurysms. Thus, diagnostic studies or therapy can aggravate the disease and even be fatal. We report a patient with Behcet's disease and ran internal jugular vein thrombosis. We also demonstrate the ability of noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography to aid in the diagnosis and evaluation of vascular involvement in Behcet's disease, without risking iatrogenic complications. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.