Hypertension as a prominent manifestation in pediatric Behcet's disease

Abstract

Abstract Objective: Hypertension caused by vascular Behcet’s disease(BD) is an important prognostic factor of pediatric BD. However, much less is known about it’s clinical features. The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical characteristics of pediatric BD complicated by hypertension. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out in pediatric BD complicated by hypertension hospitalized at the Children’s Hospital Capital Institute of Pediatrics from Jan 2009 to Dec 2022. Results: Of 65 BD patients, 6 (9.2%) were complicated by hypertension, 4 patients were female, and the median ages of onset and diagnosis were9.8 years and 11.3 years, respectively. Five of the 6 patients with hypertension had right renal artery involvement,and all of them were treated with glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants. Four patients were treated with biological agents. One patient with severe renal artery stenosis received vascular interventional therapy, but it failed. After 3-6 years of follow-up, five patients were found to have renal atrophy, and one patient was in stable condition. Conclusion: Hypertension in pediatric BD is mainly caused by renal artery involvement. Early recognition and treatment of vascular involvement in BD is important to prevent poor prognosis.