Misdiagnosis of Behcet's Disease

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Misdiagnosis of Behcet's Disease

A diagnosis of Behcet's disease may be delayed or missed because it is rare in the U.S. Some symptoms may also initially be attributed to more common conditions. Symptoms of mouth, skin, or genital lesions can be confused with the lesions of cold sores, canker sores, genital herpes, herpes, or acne. When ulcerations occur in the gastrointestinal tract due to Behcet's disease, they may be confused with ulcerations that are the result of other conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease or Crohn's disease.

Pinpointing a diagnosis can also be difficult because there is no specific test to diagnose Behcet's disease. Diagnosis can also be delayed because it must be made on the basis of a group of recurring symptoms. This means that a person has generally had the disease over a period of time before a diagnosis is made....more about Behcet's Disease »

Alternative diagnoses list for Behcet's Disease:

For a diagnosis of Behcet's Disease, the following list of conditions have been mentioned in sources as possible alternative diagnoses to consider during the diagnostic process for Behcet's Disease:

Diseases resembling Behcet's digestive symptoms
Reiter’s syndrome

Diseases for which Behcet's Disease may be an alternative diagnosis

The other diseases for which Behcet's Disease is listed as a possible alternative diagnosis in their lists include:

Discussion of diagnosis/misdiagnosis of Behcet's Disease:

Only rarely does Behçet’s disease cause inflammation and ulceration (sores) in the digestive tract and lead to stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting. Because these symptoms are very similar to symptoms of other diseases of the digestive tract, such as a peptic ulcer, ulcerative colitis, and especially Crohn’s disease, careful evaluation is essential. (Source: excerpt from Questions and Answers About Behcets Disease: NIAMS)

Common Misdiagnoses and Behcet's Disease

Psoriasis often undiagnosed cause of skin symptoms in children: Children who suffer from the skin disorder called psoriasis can often go undiagnosed. The main problem is that psoriasis is rare in children, and not often seen by physicians for this reason. children may receive treatment for fungal skin infections. See misdiagnosis of psoriasis or symptoms of psoriasis.

General Misdiagnosis Articles

Read these general articles with an overview of misdiagnosis issues.

About misdiagnosis:

When checking for a misdiagnosis of Behcet's Disease or confirming a diagnosis of Behcet's Disease, it is useful to consider what other medical conditions might be possible misdiagnoses or other alternative conditions relevant to diagnosis. These alternate diagnoses of Behcet's Disease may already have been considered by your doctor or may need to be considered as possible alternative diagnoses or candidates for misdiagnosis of Behcet's Disease. For a general overview of misdiagnosis issues for all diseases, see Overview of Misdiagnosis.

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