ATTACKS OF PERICARDITIS AS A MANIFESTATION OF FAMILIAL MEDITERRANEAN FEVER (FMF)

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is characterized by recurrent attac ks of febrile serositis, While arthritis, pleuritis and peritonitis ar e common in FMF, no association of pericarditis with FMF has been desc ribed in detail. We retrospectively studied about 4000 FMF patients, u sing a computer chart review. Pericarditis was diagnosed when patients sustained attacks of pleuritic retrosternal chest pain and had typica l findings in the electrocardiogram, echocardiogram or chest radiogram . The incidence and features of pericarditis in FMF were compared to p ublished data. Over a period of 20 years, one or more episodes of peri carditis were recorded in 27 patients, a significantly higher incidenc e than in the general population (68 vs. 6 per 10(5) per year, p<0.001 ). Each patient experienced 1-3 pericarditis attacks, lasting a mean o f 4.2 days, accompanied by high temperature and symptoms of FMF attack at another site. The pericarditis attack resolved spontaneously and l eft no sequelae. FMF patients with pericarditis were comparable to oth er FMF patients in most demographic and clinical parameters. Pericardi tis may be considered another rare manifestation of FMF.