[Recurrent pleurisy as sole manifestation of familial Mediterranean fever]

Abstract

Recurrent pleurisy as sole manifestation offamilial Mediterranean fever. An 18-year-old woman of Turkish descent visited our outpatient department with a 12-year history of recurrent self-limiting febrile attacks accompanied by chest pain. At first the symptoms were attributed to recurrent lower airway infections. However, the persistent nature of the attacks combined with her ethnic background and the spontaneous recovery from the short paroxysmal episodes, led to the consideration of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). After undergoing treatment with colchicine the patient was free of symptoms. Later it became clear that her 28-year-old brother had the same clinical manifestations of FMF. He was also successfully treated with colchicine. The often long interval from disease onset to correct diagnosis reflects the unfamiliarity of physicians with this disease and the frequency with which it is confused with other syndromes. In patients with paroxysmal febrile attacks and chest pain, especially if they originate from the eastern Mediterranean area, FMF should be considered and colchicine be prescribed to relieve symptoms and prevent amyloidosis.