38-year-old woman with recurrent abdominal pain, but no fever

Abstract

A 38-year-old woman presented with 2 days history of left-flank pain. She had similar episodes of abdominal pain as well as chest pain several times, but symptoms disappeared spontaneously. Each time she developed pain, there was no fever. After ruling out common causes of recurrent abdominal pain, familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) was considered as a potential diagnosis. Genetic tests revealed multiple heterozygote mutations, which may be associated with FMF. Patients with Mediterranean fever mutations may present with atypical presentations without fever, like in this case. Astute clinical suspicion is required to make an accurate diagnosis. © 2012 Iwata et al, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd.