Familial Mediterranean Fever is a rare cause of recurrent pleural effusion

Abstract

Pleural effusion is a common condition and considered as an important clinical problem. The exudates remain a challenge for clinicians and 5-25 % of the patients remain undiagnosed despite thorough investigations. Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is an auto-inflammatory disorder with genetic origin showing an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern generally seen in certain ethnic groups characterized by recurrent fever and systemic findings. Exudative pleuritis has been reported as the solitary manifestation of the first FMF attack, in < 10 % of patients. This case study describes a 70-year-old man with recurrent episodes of exudative pleuritis associated with pleuritic pain.