About familial Mediterranean fever
Familial Mediterranean fever is a genetic condition that causes fevers and inflammation in various parts of the body.
It happens because of a change in a gene that helps to control inflammation. Children can inherit this changed gene from one or both parents.
Familial Mediterranean fever is rare.
Familial Mediterranean fever most commonly occurs in people from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern backgrounds, although anyone can get it.
Symptoms of familial Mediterranean fever
The most common symptom of familial Mediterranean fever is recurrent fevers that can’t be explained by another cause.
If your child has familial Mediterranean fever, they might have other symptoms during an attack. These include:
- stomach, muscle or chest pain
- joint pain or swelling (most commonly the knees and ankles)
- constipation or diarrhoea
- rashes, especially on the lower legs.
Attacks of familial Mediterranean fever usually last 2-3 days and vary in how severe they are and how often they happen. They can happen any time from once a week to once every few years.
Children with familial Mediterranean fever are well between attacks.
Exercise, stress, infection and periods can bring on an attack.
Symptoms often first appear in children under the age of 5 years, but they can appear at any age.
Medical help: when to get it for children with familial Mediterranean fever symptoms
You should see your GP if you have a family history of familial Mediterranean fever and your child has unexplained fevers that happen with or without any of the other symptoms listed above.
Tests for familial Mediterranean fever
Your GP will usually make a diagnosis by looking at your child’s symptoms and examining your child. They might also organise blood tests.
Your GP will try to rule out common causes for your child’s recurrent fevers and other symptoms. The GP will look at familial Mediterranean fever as a diagnosis only if there isn’t another explanation for the symptoms. This is because familial Mediterranean fever is a rare condition.
In some cases your child might be given the medicine colchicine for 3-6 months as a test. If your child’s symptoms are less frequent while they’re taking colchicine, the doctor might consider familial Mediterranean fever as a diagnosis.
Your child can have genetic testing for familial Mediterranean fever, but it might not pick up all cases.
Treatment of familial Mediterranean fever
There’s no cure for familial Mediterranean fever.
If your child has familial Mediterranean fever, they’ll usually need to take colchicine every day. This can prevent severe attacks and long-term complications of familial Mediterranean fever – for example, kidney problems.
A key part of managing your child’s familial Mediterranean fever is making sure your child regularly takes their colchicine and attends all doctors’ appointments for check-ups.