Epidemiology

Patients are most commonly from the Middle East, the Mediterranean region, and eastern Asia. Behcet syndrome is rare in northern Europe and Africa. The prevalence is between 80-370 per 100,000 population in Turkey, 10 per 100,000 population in Japan, and 0.6 per 100,000 population in the UK.[5] In the US, the prevalence is 5.2 per 100,000 population.[8]

Behcet syndrome can affect any age group, but it is rare before puberty and after the sixth decade of life. It is most commonly seen in patients in their second and third decades. It is evenly distributed between men and women, but men frequently have more severe symptoms and poorer outcomes.[7] Some manifestations show regional differences. For example, gastrointestinal involvement is rare in Turkey but more common in Japan, and is seen in about 30% of patients in the US.[9][10]​ Pathergy (subcutaneous skin hyperactivity to needle prick) is more common in the Middle East than in the US or northern Europe.

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