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Sacroiliitis in familial Mediterranean fever: an unusual presentation in childhood

N Beşbaş1, S Ozdemir, I Saatçi

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara.

The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
|April 19, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) can cause sacroiliitis, even in children. Computed tomography (CT) enables early diagnosis of this arthritis in young FMF patients, even without X-ray abnormalities.

Area of Science:

  • Rheumatology
  • Genetics
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive autoinflammatory disorder.
  • FMF commonly presents with recurrent fever and serositis.
  • Arthritis is a frequent FMF manifestation, typically with a benign course.

Observation:

  • Sacroiliitis, a specific arthritis type, has been documented in FMF patients, usually adults with radiographic evidence.
  • This report details the youngest FMF patient diagnosed with sacroiliitis.
  • The patient exhibited no sacroiliac X-ray abnormalities.

Findings:

  • Computed tomography (CT) facilitated the diagnosis of sacroiliitis in this pediatric FMF case.
  • This represents the first childhood diagnosis of FMF-associated sacroiliitis via CT.
  • Early CT imaging identified sacroiliac involvement before radiographic changes became apparent.

Implications:

  • CT scanning is valuable for the early detection of sacroiliitis in pediatric FMF.
  • This diagnostic approach may prevent delayed treatment of potentially destructive arthritis.
  • CT aids in identifying FMF-related sacroiliac joint disease in early childhood.

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