Arthritis in familial Mediterranean fever

We studied the rheumatic and various clinical manifestations of familial Me diterranean fever (FMF) in Lebanon. A retrospective review was performed of the medical records of 74 FMF patients seen at the American University of Beirut Medical Centre (AUB-MC) from 1979 to 1996. We also reviewed the medi cal literature from 1968 to 2000 using MEDLINE and the key words "familial Mediterranean fever" and "arthritis". Arthritis was the presenting symptom in 12 cases (16.2%). Twenty-three patients (31%)had definite arthritis duri ng the course of the disease that was monoarticular in 16 (70%), oligoartic ular in six (26%), and polyarticular (rheumatoid-like) in one (4%). Arthrit is of the large joints of the knees and ankles was the most frequent articu lar involvement. The arthritis was transient, monoarticular, nonerosive, an d nondeforming in the majority of cases. Four patients (5.4%) had chronic a rthritis, with one requiring total hip replacement. As in previous reports on arthritis of FMF, the majority of FMF patients studied in Lebanon had a transient monoarticular nonerosive and nondeforming type of arthritis affec ting predominantly the large joints of the lower extremities.