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Background/Aims: Familial mediterranean fever (FMF) is a genetic autoinflammatory disease typically diagnosed in childhood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the demographic, clinical, and genetic characteristics of patients aged 18 years and older who were diagnosed with FMF. Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with FMF between 2014 and 2022 at Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine Hospital were included in the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the age of disease onset. Group I included patients with adult-onset (ages 18-40), while group II comprised patients with late onset (ages 40 and above). Subsequently, the 2 groups were compared. Results: A total of 150 patients with a mean age of 32 (18-79) were included in the study. There were 116 patients in group I and 34 (22.7%) in group II. The most common presenting complaint was abdominal pain (91.3%), and the most prevalent complication was amyloidosis (4.7%). No significant differences were observed between age groups regarding clinical findings and symptoms. The most frequent homozygous mutations were M694V (9.3%) and R202Q (1.8%), while the heterozygous mutations were M694V (37.3%) and R202Q (35.5%), respectively. The rate of M694V gene positivity in the adult-onset group was significantly higher compared to the lateonset group (52.9% and 25%, respectively, P = .020). Conclusion: There does not appear to be a significant difference in clinical signs and symptoms between adult-onset and late-onset FMF patients. The higher rate of M694V gene positivity in the adult-onset group suggests that the M694V mutation may be responsible for the early expression of the disease.

Toothbrush ingestion is a rarer condition than other swallowed foreign bodies. It is usually seen in the elderly, patients with psychological disorders, and mentally retarded individuals. In this article, we present the case of a 21-year-old female patient who accidentally swallowed a toothbrush. The toothbrush was successfully removed with flexible endoscopy using a polypectomy snare.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study is to present and discuss upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy findings in renal transplant candidates with a high incidence of gastrointestinal system diseases. METHODS Between January 2014 and December 2019, patients over the age of 18 who were on dialysis for chronic renal failure and renal transplant candidates at xxx University xxx Hospital were included in the study. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings and pathology results (atrophy, helicobacter pylori and intestinal metaplasia) of the patients were retrospectively evaluated by scanning from the electronic archive system of the hospital. RESULTS The study included 105 patients. 53 (50.5%) of the patients were male. The mean age of the patients was 44.09 ± 14.16 years and there was no statistically significant difference between male and female sexes (p=0.961). The most common endoscopic findings were pangastritis (44.8%), antral gastritis (27.6%) and esophagitis (16.2%). Only 4 (3.8%) patients had duodenal ulcer. Atrophy was positive in 3 (13%) of 23 patients, HP was positive in 19 (27.1%) of 67 patients and IM was positive in 17 (24.3%) of 56 patients. CONCLUSIONS Patients who are renal transplant candidates should be reviewed for indication of routine upper endoscopic examination before transplantation to prevent upper GI tract complications that may develop after transplantation.