Assessment of Saccular and Semicircular Canal’s Function in Behcet’s Disease

Behcet’s disease (BD) is a multisystemic, chronic and progressive disorder with a relatively high prevalence in Iran. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the vestibular function between Iranian BD patients and normal subjects using cervical vestibular- evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs) and video head impulse test (vHIT).

In this cross-sectional study, 44 patients with definitive BD in the inactive stage of disease and 30 age and sex matched normal subjects were evaluated via cVEMP and vHIT tests and dizziness handicap inventory (DHI). Then the parameters of the tests were compared between the two groups by statistical methods. Moreover, the effects of DHI scores and other contextual variables on the test results were examined.

In terms of the cVEMP test, the response rate and mean latency of p13 in the left ear were significantly lower, the amplitude of the cVEMP wave in the left ear and the amplitude asymmetry ratio were significantly higher in BD patients compared to normal subjects (p<0.05). Fifteen BD patients had abnormal amplitude and nine patients had abnormal latency of cVEMP responses. In terms of the vHIT test, the mean vestibule-ocular reflex gain of the left posterior semicircular canal and the mean gain asymmetry ratio of lateral canals were significantly higher in BD patients than in the controls (p<0.05).

the vestibular system of some patients with BD is disturbed and the results of this study indicate the presence of unilateral vestibular weakness in BD. So vestibular assessment can be helpful for these patients.