Palindromic rheumatism in Israel--a disease entity? A survey of 34 patients.

Over a period of 10 years 34 patients were diagnosed as suffering from palindromic rheumatism. Eighty-one percent of the patients were of North African origin. This is significantly higher (p = 0.01) than the age-adjusted origin of the general population in the region. Attacks were usually monoarthritic or oligoarthritic in nature. The joint most often involved was the knee. Prophylactic therapy with colchicine was ineffective. Gold salts brought about partial remission in three of six patients. Despite a relatively long average follow-up period of 9.3 years and the finding of a positive rheumatoid factor in 12% of the patients, not one of the patients developed rheumatoid arthritis. In 50% of the patients we detected an unexplained elevation in serum globulins and immunoglobulins. The possible association between this syndrome and Familial Mediterranean Fever is discussed.