A case of neuro-Behçet's disease with repeating isolated thoracic spinal cord lesion

We reported a 45-year-old man who had repeated isolated thoracic spinal cord lesion on MRI in the clinical course of seven years. He had transient bilateral plantar numbness and urinary retention on December, 1994. Then, spastic paraplegia, total anesthesia of feet, and severe sphincter disturbance struck him on May, 1995. He was diagnosed as incomplete Behçet's disease and neuro-Behçet's disease on June, 1995 because of recurrent oral aphta, genital ulceration, and foliculitis. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed high intensity enhanced with Gd-DTPA in thoracic spinal cord from Th 5 to 8 level. Any other abnormal lesion on brain or spinal MRI was not observed. He was treated with corticosteroids and recovered incompletely. Another two big attacks occurred to him. No new lesion but thoracic spinal cord lesion was observed. We conclude that this case is the first reported example of neuro-Behçet's disease with repeating isolated thoracic spinal cord lesion.