J Korean Rheum Assoc.
1995 Jul;2(2):151-156.
Heel Pain in Behcet's Disease
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Internal Medicine, Wonju College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- 2Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
- 3Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the clinical significance of heel pain, a frequently associated enthesopathy in Behcet's disease and to evaluate the association with seronegative spondyloarthropathy.
METHODS
15 Behcet's disease patients diagnosed by International Study Group for Behcet's disease criteria with arthritis were studied prospectively in the period of 1994. 3. 1-1995. 3. 31. Modified New York criteria was adopted for the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis. The patients were grouped into two by the presence of heel pain which was documented as tenderness on heel.
RESULTS
There were 6 patients in the heel pain group and 9 patients in the non-heel pain group. Clinical characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. Ankylosing sponaylitis was not associated in either group. ESR was higher with the value of 41.2mm/hr in heel pain group than 25.7mm/hr in non-heel pain group but it was not significant. In heel pam group, one patient showed HLA-B27 positivity, one patient showed erosive bone cha. nge, and one patient showed sacroiliitis but non-heel pain group showed no HLA positivity or bony changes.
CONCLUSIONS
We find that subset of Behcet's disease patients with heel pain showed tendency to have higher inflammatory activity, erosive bone change, sacroilitis and HLA B-27 association, thus should be classified as seronegative spondyloarthropathy but seems to be different category from ankylosing spondylitis. These observations should be conducted in a large number of patients to establish the clinical value.
