Cluster analysis of paediatric Behçet's disease: Data from The Pediatric Rheumatology Academy-Research Group

Objectives: Behçet's disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis affecting many organ systems, with the involvement of all-sized arteries and veins. The study aims to determine the main characteristics of paediatric BD patients and also analyse the clustering phenotypes.

Methods: Demographic data, clinical manifestations, laboratory features, treatment schedules, and disease outcomes were achieved from patients' charts retrospectively. A cluster analysis was performed according to the phenotype.

Results: A total of 225 (109 male/116 female) patients with BD were enrolled in the study. The median ages of disease onset and diagnosis were 131 (36-151) and 156 (36-192) months, respectively. According to cluster analysis, 132 (58.6%) patients belonged to the mucocutaneous-only cluster (C1), while 35 (15.6%) patients fitted to articular type (C2), 25 (11.1%) were in the ocular cluster (C3), 26 (11.6%) were in the vascular cluster (C4), and 7(3.1%) belonged to the gastrointestinal cluster (C5). Ocular and vascular clusters were more common in boys (p < .001), while girls usually presented with the mucocutaneous-only cluster. The disease activity at the diagnosis and the last control was higher in ocular, vascular, and gastrointestinal clusters.

Conclusions: These identified juvenile BD clusters express different phenotypes with different outcomes Our analysis may help clinicians to identify the disease subtypes accurately and to arrange personalized treatment.