Successful treatment with adalimumab in a familial case of gastrointestinal Behcet's disease

Abstract

We present here two siblings with a history of recurrent oral and genital ulcers, neurological and gastrointestinal manifestations. The diagnosis of Behçet's disease in a context of familial aggregation was assumed. Facing repeated steroid-dependent flares and failure of maintenance therapies with colchicine and intolerance to pentoxifilline and disulone, adalimumab was started. Rapid response was observed in both patients, with clinical remission after induction therapy, which currently sustains under maintenance schedule. This case report suggests the effectiveness of adalimumab as first anti-TNFα in case of steroid-dependent/resistant gastrointestinal BD.