Familial Mediterranean fever: a differential diagnosis for the surgical abdomen

FMF is characterised by dysregulation of the inflammatory process in the body, presenting as recurrent episodes of serositis. Patients with FMF commonly present with episodes of fever, peritonitis, synovitis, pleuritis, arthritis, and occasionally pericarditis. We present a case of a young 19-year old female, who presented to hospital four times over several months with intermittent fevers, abdominal pain and pleuritic chest pain. After being initially admitted under the surgical team, she was reviewed by the medical team who referred her for genetic testing, which subsequently confirmed the diagnosis. She was started on colchicine, and her symptoms remain well controlled one-year post diagnosis.