Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by SNEH, E.
Right arrow Articles by GAFNI, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by SNEH, E.
Right arrow Articles by GAFNI, J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1977 British Society for Rheumatology

other

PROTRACTED ARTHRITIS IN FAMILIAL MEDITERRANEAN FEVER

E. SNEH, M. PRAS, D. MICHAELI, N. SHAHIN and J. GAFNI

Heller Institute of Medical Research, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Tel-Aviv University Medical School Israel

A review of the files of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) confirmed the rarity of patients suffering protracted arthritic attacks and the propensity of the joints, in general, to recover. While 70% of those afflicted suffered bouts of synovitis, only 57 patients (5% of the FMF-population) experienced protracted attacks involving a total of 84 joints, 36 of them knees and 25 hips. Functional and, usually, anatomical integrity was regained in all but 27 joints.

Of the 27 joints producing residual incapacity, 21 were hips. Seven hips showed roentgeno-logically typical aseptic necrosis of the femoral head and 14 only sclerosis and narrowing of the joint space. Eight hips eventually required total prosthetic replacement.

We suggest that the poor prognosis of the hip, in contrast to other joints affected by protracted FMF-arthritis, is related not directly to the metabolic aberration underlying the disease but to attenuation of the arterial blood supply of the femoral head by synovial exudation. Early aspiration of exudate could alter the prognosis by preventing the complication of aseptic necrosis.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.