[Destructive arthritis and Behçet's syndrome].

The arthritis of Behçet's syndrome is not usually responsible for articular destructions, so that the presence of destructive lesions makes the diagnosis of Behçet's syndrome doubtful. Here is presented the observation of a 29 years old man (his illness beginning at twelve), with a typical Behçet's syndrome, who developed a destructive arthritis. Arthritic and systemic flares showed a parallel evolution. Destructive lesions involved wrists, hands, feet and elbows. The search for another cause of destructive arthritis (mainly juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis) was negative. The occurrence of destructive arthropathies in Behçet's syndrome has been exceptionally reported.