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Arthritis as the sole episodic manifestation of familial Mediterranean fever

Merav Lidar1, Ron Kedem, Adam Mor

  • 1Heller Institute of Medical Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.

The Journal of Rheumatology
|May 4, 2005
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) can present solely with arthritis. Key distinguishing features include fever, short duration, family history, specific gene mutations, and colchicine response, aiding differentiation from other episodic arthritis types.

Area of Science:

  • Rheumatology
  • Genetics
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disorder.
  • Arthritis can be the sole presenting manifestation of FMF.
  • Differentiating FMF arthritis from other mono/oligoarthritides is clinically important.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clinically and genetically characterize FMF patients with isolated arthritis.
  • To identify features that distinguish FMF arthritis from other episodic mono/oligoarthritides.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 14 FMF patients with arthritis as the only symptom.
  • Compared them to 28 patients with other forms of episodic mono/oligoarthritis.
  • Conducted clinical evaluations and FMF gene analysis for all participants.

Main Results:

  • FMF arthritis attacks were typically febrile and short-lived, unlike controls.
  • Significant differences observed in family history of FMF and mutation analysis.
  • Response to colchicine was a key differentiator.

Conclusions:

  • Clinical, ethnic, and genetic characteristics of FMF-related monoarthritis are distinct.
  • These specific features allow for differentiation from other mono/oligoarthritis entities.

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