Postgraduate medical journal
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Behçet's disease is a systemic vasculitis of unknown aetiology characteristically affecting venules. Onset is typically in young adults with recurrent oral and genital ulceration, uveitis, skin manifestations, arthritis, neurological involvement, and a tendency to thrombosis. ⋯ International diagnostic criteria have been proposed, however diagnosis can be problematical, particularly if the typical ulcers are not obvious at presentation. Treatment is challenging, must be tailored to the pattern of organ involvement for each patient and often requires combination therapies.
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It is estimated that for a quarter of all patients with advanced metastatic cancer, depression will be significant symptom. However up to 80% of the psychological and psychiatric morbidity which develops in cancer patients goes unrecognised and untreated. One of the main difficulties in establishing a diagnosis of an illness where there are no biological markers, physical signs, or diagnostics tests is deciding what can be called "appropriate sadness" as patients approach the end of life and what is a depressive illness. ⋯ The use of antidepressants and the role of cognitive therapies are also discussed. For effective treatment of a depressive illness, treatment with antidepressant medication needs to be initiated sooner rather than later and patients may need close supervision to ensure compliance. The awareness of depression, the identification of symptoms, and the initiation of treatment is essential if patients are to be offered optimum palliation of psychological as well as physical symptoms.