Objectives:
Behçet’s disease is a vasculitis of unknown cause that can affect many systems, especially the skin, mucosa, joint and eyes. In this study, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and vaccination status in Behçet’s patients were examined. The relationship between the characteristics of Behçet’s patients and the data related to COVID-19 was investigated.
Materials and Methods:
Three hundred and three Behçet’s patients were randomly included in this study. The vaccination status of the patients and the type of COVID-19 vaccine administered were questioned. Whether the patients had COVID-19 and the disease process were examined. Behçet’s patients with a positive COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test were considered to have had the disease.
Results:
The mean age was 46.3 (±12.3) years, 40.6% were male, and the age at diagnosis was 30.4 (±9.1) years. COVID-19 PCR test positivity was detected in 132 (43.5%) of the patients. It was observed that 72% (n=95) of the patients with test positivity were symptomatic and the hospitalization rate was 3%. It was observed that Behçet’s patients who had COVID-19 had less central nervous system involvement than those who did not (p=0.01). No significant correlation was found between other clinical manifestations of Behçet’s disease, age, gender, and the age at diagnosis of the disease, and the history of having COVID-19. The rate of COVID-19 vaccination in Behçet’s patients was 92.1% for the first dose, 89.4% for the second dose, and 60% for the third dose. It was observed that the Biontech vaccine was administered more frequently than other types of vaccines. It was detected that the number of COVID-19 vaccinations was significantly higher in the group that did not have COVID-19 (p=0.003).
Conclusion:
In this study, although the rate of COVID-19 disease was high in Behçet’s patients, the rate of hospitalization was low. The importance of COVID-19 vaccination was emphasized.
Keywords: Behçet’s Disease, Vasculitis, COVID-19, Vaccination
