Cold exposure related fever with an mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene mutation

Abstract

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a genetic autoinflammatory disease characterized by recurrent fever with serosal inflammation. We experienced a 53-year-old male who had been suffering from periodic attacks with slight fever and myalgia which were mainly triggered by cold exposure in winter. Although his clinical course did not satisfy the criteria for familial Mediterranean fever, heterozygous E148Q/M694I mutation in the Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene was detected. Further attacks were prevented by treatment with col-chicine. Attention should therefore be paid to the possibility of atypical FMF symptoms, which should be accurately diagnosed by genetic analyses to prevent the development of amyloidosis.