M O Rawashdeh1, H A Majeed. 1. Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
Abstract
UNLABELLED: Over a period of 3 years, 192 children with familial Mediterranean fever were prospectively studied. Of these, 106 (55%) were girls and 86 (45%) were boys. The prevalence was 1:2600 children with a gene frequency of 1:50. The age at onset ranged between 4 months and 16 years. Of these patients 24% started their illness below the age of 2 years and 88% were symptomatic before the age of 10 years: 82% had recurrent abdominal pain, 43% had pleurisy, 37% had arthritis, 15% had cutaneous manifestations, 12% had splenomegaly and 4% had hepatomegaly. The presenting symptoms were abdominal pain in 51%, unilateral chest pain in 23% and arthritis in 26%. The family history was positive in 62%. Of 12 affected families 19 members had/have renal failure and amyloidosis was confirmed in 7 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show a high prevalence of familial Mediterranean fever and a high gene frequency in Arab children similar to that reported in Jews and Americans.
UNLABELLED: Over a period of 3 years, 192 children with familial Mediterranean fever were prospectively studied. Of these, 106 (55%) were girls and 86 (45%) were boys. The prevalence was 1:2600 children with a gene frequency of 1:50. The age at onset ranged between 4 months and 16 years. Of these patients 24% started their illness below the age of 2 years and 88% were symptomatic before the age of 10 years: 82% had recurrent abdominal pain, 43% had pleurisy, 37% had arthritis, 15% had cutaneous manifestations, 12% had splenomegaly and 4% had hepatomegaly. The presenting symptoms were abdominal pain in 51%, unilateral chest pain in 23% and arthritis in 26%. The family history was positive in 62%. Of 12 affected families 19 members had/have renal failure and amyloidosis was confirmed in 7 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show a high prevalence of familial Mediterranean fever and a high gene frequency in Arab children similar to that reported in Jews and Americans.
Authors: T M El Mansoury; B P C Hazenberg; S A El Badawy; A H Ahmed; J Bijzet; P C Limburg; M H van Rijswijk Journal: Ann Rheum Dis Date: 2002-01 Impact factor: 19.103