Authors: Salih Ozgocmen Levent Özçakar Ozge Ardicoglu Ercan Kocakoc Arzu Kaya Adem Kiris
Publish Date: 2005/09/20
Volume: 25, Issue: 1, Pages: 83-87
Abstract
The most common arthritic involvement in familial Mediterranean fever FMF is acute recurrent monoarthritis however sometimes spondyloarthropathylike findings or typical ankylosing spondylitis may also ensue Reported here is our favorable experience with infliximab in an FMF patient who had been resistant to colchicine and diseasemodifying antirheumatic drugs sulfasalazine and methotrexate treatments A 72week followup of the patient yielded complete remission of the febrile abdominal episodes and spondylitis responded well The patient’s bilateral aseptic necrosis of the femoral head deteriorated and caused hip pain discomfort and disability Overall we believe that tumor necrosis factor TNF alpha has an important role in the disease pathogenesis and also that antiTNF may represent a promising robust treatment alternative in FMF
Keywords: