TY - JOUR T1 - Anti-tumour necrosis factor α monoclonal antibody therapy for recalcitrant cerebral vasculitis in a patient with Behçet’s syndrome JF - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases JO - Ann Rheum Dis SP - 280 LP - 281 DO - 10.1136/ard.62.3.280 VL - 62 IS - 3 AU - G Licata AU - A Pinto AU - A Tuttolomondo AU - A Banco AU - F Ciccia AU - A Ferrante AU - G Triolo Y1 - 2003/03/01 UR - http://ard.bmj.com/content/62/3/280.abstract N2 - Behçet’s disease (BD) is a relapsing systemic vasculitis of unknown definite cause, mainly characterised by recurrent oral and genital ulceration, uveitis, skin lesions, and arthritis. It is also one of the best recognised condition known to cause vasculitis in the central nervous system (CNS), presenting as one of the most devastating manifestations of the disease.Corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents are the preferred drugs in the treatment of both primary and secondary CNS vasculitis. Immunosuppressive agents (for example, azathioprine, cyclosporin, cyclophosphamide, and chlorambucil), however, given alone or in different combinations, have not been shown to prevent the development of neurological complications of the disease, to reduce its exacerbations, or stop its progression.The aetiopathogenesis of BD has not yet been fully elucidated; however, increased concentrations of tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) and soluble TNF receptors have been found in the serum of patients with active disease.1Therapeutic TNF blockade … ER -