Abstract
Histologies of the thymuses resected from 22 cases of Behcet's disease were described. The incidence of thymic lymphoid follicle was 66% (6/9) in patients not treated with systemic steroid therapy, 80% (4/5) in those who discontinued steroids for more than three months before thymectomy, and 13% (1/8) in one who was treated at or within three months before the resection. Hyperplasia of spindle-shaped epithelial cells with the disappearance of Hassall's corpuscle was noted in five out of eight cases treated and in one case not treated with systemic steroid administration. It was suggested that the presence of thymic lymphoid follicles and spindle-shaped epithelial cells might be related to basic abnormalities in the pathogenesis of Behget's disease. Two cases associated with thyroid carcinoma and two cases with lymphoid thyroiditis were also reported.
