Appointment as the Vice President of the International Society for Behcet’s Disease
Dr. Bang Dongshik, Professor of Dermatology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital
“Dermatologists should take more interest in Behcet's disease.”
Dr. Bang Dongshik, Professor of Dermatology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital, was appointed the Vice President of the International Society for Behcet’s Disease in the 16th world assembly held in France last September. His vice presidential term is four years spanning from 2014 to 2018. Professor Bang has served as the chairman to the international conference for Behcet’s disease from 2010 to 2014. As the chairman, he successfully organized the 9th International Society for Behcet’s Disease world conference held in Seoul in 2000. He has also served as the president of Korean Society for Behcet's Disease and been leading the academic conference on the rare condition in Korea.
“The International Society for Behcet’s Disease has 320 members, with 35 executives, each of whom represents his/her country. I was elected the president by the unanimous decision of 35 executives, which makes me firmly resolved to do a good job. I believed that I left a good impression helping countries with difficulty of research such as Russia, Tunisia, and Algeria, etc. as well as young scholars. I would like to provide a forum for actively exchanging latest opinions on battling the disease as well as forming beneficial relationships between the members.”
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Behcet's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition manifesting in oral ulcer, genital ulcer, ocular symptoms as well as involvement of the skin, blood vessel, gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, heart and lungs, etc. Severe conditions can lead to blindness or death. Behcet’s disease has a long history as Hippocrates described its symptoms in Greek in the 5th century B.C. but the first case of Behcet’s disease was reported only in 1961 in Korea.
“Dean Sung-nak Lee was appointed the head of the dermatology department in 1975 at Severance Hospital. The dean at the time asked us as to why there are no cases of Behcet’s disease in Korea, whereas there are many in Japan. The condition was thought to be very rare. However, Behcet's disease is more common in countries close to the Silk Road such as, Korea, China, Japan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the Mediterranean region. Therefore, it was imperative that Korea also develop treatments and research for the condition. In 1983, as a member of the medical staff, I helped open a Behcet's disease clinic with the dean along with ophthalmology, ENT, and dermatology departments. I have cared for around 15,000 patients in the past 30 years.”
-To be continued-
