Abstract
The Uhthoff symptom, a transient impairment of visual function, gives a clue to the diagnosis of retrobulbar neuritis and multiple sclerosis.
We examined whether any clinicopathogenical significance of Uhthoff's phenomenon may declare in patients with Behçet's disease.
15 of 72 patients had been suspected of having the Uhthoff symptom.
High signal intensity lesions on T2-weighted MRI preferentially located on subcortico-occipital lobe and posterior horn of the lateral ventricle in patients having the Uhthoff symptom.
PET studies in 4 patients having the Uhthoff symptom showed decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF) in subcortico- and cortico-temporo-occipital lobes.
In PVEP examination, peak latencies of P100 were delayed in 5 of 20 patients, while mean peak amplitude was diminished in 2. However, these results had no bearing on the presence or absence of the Uhthoff symptom.
Our observation suggests that the reduction of CBF in visual center may play an important role in the occurrence of Uhthoff's phenomenon in Behçet's disease besides any disorders of the anterior visual pathways.
