Three patients with familial Mediterranean fever: A possible underdiagnosed entity in Japan

Abstract

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by periodic fever and serosal inflammation. FMF is mostly reported in the Mediterranean region and is considered to be rare in Japan with estimated 292 cases. We treated three unrelated FMF patients in one year in a city with 144,000 residents. Two of the three patients were over 70 years old. FMF may therefore be underdiagnosed in Japan.