Latent class analysis of 136 Behçet's syndrome patients identified two clinical classes (one with more ocular and major organ involvement, one with pathergy positivity and papulopustular lesions), but the structure was highly sensitive to indicator selection, supporting exploratory clinical patterns rather than fixed phenotypes, with major organ involvement significantly more frequent in men.
Major organ involvement was present in more than half of the 136 patients with Behçet's syndrome in this regional cohort.
A two-class latent class solution had the lowest BIC among standard LCA models based on six clinical indicators.
Class 1 was characterized by absence of pathergy positivity, very few papulopustular lesions, and higher ocular involvement.
Class 2 was characterized by high probabilities of pathergy positivity and papulopustular lesions.
Major organ involvement was more frequent in Class 1 than in Class 2.
Male patients had higher rates of ocular, vascular, and major organ involvement than female patients.
Current anti-TNF therapy was more common in male than female patients.
Patients with major organ involvement had lower rates of genital ulcer history, pathergy positivity, and joint involvement than those without.
The latent class structure was highly sensitive to indicator selection, so findings support exploratory clinical patterns rather than fixed phenotypes.
This study looked at 136 people with Behçet's syndrome, a disease that can affect the mouth, genitals, skin, eyes, joints, and blood vessels in very different ways. Using a statistical method that groups patients by similar symptom patterns, the researchers found two main groups. One group had more eye involvement and almost no pathergy skin reaction or pimple-like skin lesions; the other group had these skin features frequently. Serious organ involvement (such as eyes or blood vessels) was more common in the first group. Men in the study had more eye, blood vessel, and serious organ involvement than women, and were more often treated with anti-TNF medicines. People with serious organ involvement were also less likely to have a history of genital ulcers, a positive pathergy test, or joint problems. The authors caution that the groupings changed considerably depending on which symptoms were used to build them, so these should not be seen as fixed disease types. This was a retrospective study of a single regional cohort, so the research suggests patterns worth exploring further rather than definitive categories for clinical use.
Varkal G, Gökdemir G. (2026). Clinical patterns and major organ involvement in Behçet's syndrome: a latent class analysis of a regional cohort.. Rheumatology international. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-026-06338-3