[Subacute and chronic joint involvement occurring during the course of familial Mediterranean fever (author's transl)].

Subacute and chronic joint involvement occur in less than 5 p. cent of patients with familial mediterranean fever, whereas acute joint lesions are observed in approximately 3 out of 4 cases. The various aspects of these atypical forms are discussed in relation to 10 such cases. In most of these patients the lesions were merely due to the prolongation of the acute process, presenting as a subacute mono-arthrites lasting for several months before regression. X Rays show only regional demineralisation, sometimes predominating in the subchondral zone. Symptoms totally regress without sequelae. A time destructive arthropathy may however develop, especially in the hip. The presentation associates limitation of joint motion with, on X Rays, joint space narrowing and osteophytes. In 2 of our cases and one case reported in the literature, there was a progressive development of a chronic caxopathy without any previous acute involvement of this joint. At last, in some cases, familial mediterranean fever may be associated with a known arthritidis, usually ankylosing spondylitis.