[Familial Mediterranean fever. Study of a Swiss child].

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) has been observed in a Swiss child without ethnic predisposition. The case is analyzed and the current literature briefly reviewed. Recurrent attacks of fever, accompanied by abdominal pain, colic and arthritic symptoms, and often by pleuritic pain and a transitory skin rash, are the hallmarks of FMF, which is predominantly seen in ethnic groups of the Mediterranean area, notably Sephardic Jews, Turks and Armenians. However, it rarely occurs among individuals without an ethnic predisposition. Its most ominous manifestation is amyloidosis, which leads to chronic renal failure within a matter of years. Thanks to colchicine treatment, which is now widely accepted, patients often lead normal lives, and it appears that amyloidosis can be prevented.