Apremilast- A Novel Treatment for Behcet’s Disease

Abstract

Behcet's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease involving multi-organ system; it results from a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, infectious, and immunological factors, though its precise etiology remains unclear. The disease is categorized as neutrophilic dermatosis and the clinical manifestations occur due to vasculitis that affects blood vessels of all types and sizes. The disease affects many other organs specifically the eye, gastrointestinal system, central nervous system, joints, kidneys and vascular system. We report the case of an 18-year-old girl having Behcet’s disease for the past 4 years with typical recurrent oral aphthosis along with pharyngeal involvement leading to dysphagia and a large ulcerative lesion over labia majora. Notably, her condition showed a remarkable response to apremilasthighlighting its potential therapeutic role in refractory mucocutaneous manifestations of Behcet’s disease. This case underscores the expanding treatment landscape and the need for further investigation into targeted immunomodulatory therapies.