Abstract
Intestinal Behçet's disease is rare and is accompanied by a high risk of intestinal perforation. A recent experience with a case of Behcet's disease with perforation of the small intestine and such cases seen in the Japanese literature are presented.
A 63-year-old woman was seen at the hospital because of severe abdominal pain. There was a 2.5-year history of Behcet's disease and she was under treatment for it at her first visit. On physical examination, slight distension, marked tenderness, resistence and muscular defence were presented in the whole abdomen. Abdominal roentogenography revealed a free air and an emergency operation was carried out under the diagnosis of perforation of the gastrointestinal tract. At the primary operation, punched-out perforation of the ileum was found and ileostomy and abdominal drainage were performed. After the operation, steroid hormone therapy was started to control Behcet's disease. Gastorograffin enema from the ileostomy and colonic fiberscopy played an important role in the evaluation of the lesion. At the secondary operation, ileocecal resection was performed on the 30th day after admission. She was comfortably discharged from the hospital on the 104th day after admission.
