The results of our study suggest that serum CRP and IL-6 levels are elevated in patients with active BD, but that serum PCT values are not elevated in these patients.

We studied the reliability of teledermatology diagnoses made using a Web-based system. Clinical photographs and information relating to 125 patients were placed on a Web server. Three dermatologists made the most likely diagnosis via a Web interface. The reference diagnosis was made in a face-to-face consultation with a fourth dermatologist; where appropriate it was confirmed histologically. The teledermatologists were correct in 57% of cases when viewing the images alone. Their diagnostic accuracy improved to 70% when additional clinical information was available. The rate of agreement between the teledermatologists ranged from 44% to 70% (kappa= 0.22-0.32). Seventy-seven per cent of the patients were correctly diagnosed by at least two dermatologists when clinical information was provided. A Web-based system appears to be reliable for teledermatology. A single well trained teledermatologist may give better results than a group of less well trained clinicians.

Background: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a multisystem disease with unknown etiology. Until today, the role of emotional stress and the real incidence of psychiatric symptoms in this disease have not been clarified yet. Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the general psychological profile of the patients diagnosed as having BD as well as their depression and anxiety levels in order to investigate the psychiatric aspects of this disease. Material and Methods: Twenty-three patients with BD and 17 patients with chronic plaque-type psoriasis who made up the control group were examined by the Beck Depression (BDI), Beck Anxiety (BAI) and Brief Symptom Inventories (BSI). Results: The mean BDI score of the BD group was 11.69 ± 6.93, and the corresponding value was 9.11 ± 7.34 for the psoriasis group. The mean BAI score of the BD group was 21.39 + 13.68 and this level was 12.41 ± 10.70 for psoriasis patients. The mean BSI score of the BD group was 61.30 ± 43.66 and it was 30.41 ± 28.77 for the control group. The mean BDI, BAI and BSI scores of the patients diagnosed as having BD were significantly higher than those of the control group (F = 0.234, F = 0.508, F = 0.549 and p < 0.05). Conclusion: BDI, BAI and BSI scales are useful to evaluate the psychiatric aspects of BD. The results of our study revealed that the collaboration of a dermatologist and psychiatrist is essential for the follow-up of patients with BD.

In the present study, BD patients had higher levels of psychopathology than did psoriasis patients in terms of psychologic test scores. The duration of illness affected the severity of the psychiatric symptoms in the BD group, but not in the psoriasis group. The duration of illness was a major risk factor for the development of depression in BD. These findings indicate the need for early recognition of psychiatric symptoms in patients with BD.