CLINICAL CASES   

Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2006 April;141(2):169-71

Copyright © 2006 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Familial mediterranean fever. A diagnostic challenge

Mourellou O., Delli F. S., Chaidemenos G., Gidarokosta P., Tsatilas D., Tsatsou F.

State Hospital for Skin and Venereal Diseases Thessaloniki, Greece

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a hereditary disease that especially affects people living around the Mediterranean sea. The most serious complication is amyloidosis, which can lead to terminal renal failure. We report the case of a 48-year old man who presented in our clinic with recurrent episodes of erysipelas-like rashes located at the right gluteal area, always associated with fever and sometimes with orchiepidedymitis, abdominal pain and arthritis. The clinical diagnosis of FMF was confirmed by the finding of the mutated marenostrin-encoding fever (MEFV) gene, using the PCR technique. The attacks were successfully avoided by continuous administration of colchicine per os 0.5 mg 3 times daily