Clinicopathologic Studies on Neuro‐Behçet's Disease

Abstract: Nine cases of neuro‐Behçet's disease were investigated clinicopathologically. Pathological pictures of the central nervous system were characterized as follows: the site of predilection was the brain stem, followed by the spinal cord, cerebrum and cerebellum. The pathognomonic changes were recurrent inflammations around small vessels, causing a softening of the tissue. Lesions were composed of a perivascular infiltration of lymphocytes, histiocytes and microglias and, moreover, diapedesis, degenerated nerve cells and oligo‐dendroglias, glial nodule, breakdown of myelin and axon, fatty granule cells and glio‐mesenchymal proliferation were present occasionally. Electron microscopic studies on the neurons revealed no evidence of viral particles except for some accumulations of electron dense bodies.