Familial Mediterranean fever attacks do not alter functional and morphologic tissue Doppler echocardiographic parameters.

The aim of this study is to investigate the tissue Doppler echocardiographic (TDE) characteristics of acute familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) attack on young Turkish males. Thirty-four young males with FMF were investigated utilizing echocardiography both before and after FMF attacks. Echocardiographic findings were assessed by two cardiologist utilizing Vingmed system V echocardiography machine and a 2.5 MHz probe by two-dimensional and color Doppler examination, as well as tissue Doppler parameters. The incidence of pericardial effusion was found to be 23.3% during acute FMF attack. There was no significant difference between the patients in attack-free period and attack period with respect to TDE measurements. TDE measurements did not differ between the patients with and without pericardial effusion. There was no correlation between pericardial effusion and disease duration, family history, and physical findings. In conclusion, our results suggest preserved systolic and diastolic ventricular functions in attack period. Pericardial effusion is not associated with impaired TDE parameters.