Ocular inflammatory diseases in children with familial Mediterranean fever: a true association or a coincidence?

Purpose: To describe the characteristics of patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) concurrent with ocular inflammatory disease (OID) and to criticize possible relations between them.Methods: Clinical data were extracted from electronic medical records. Additionally, the medical literature on OIDs in FMF was reviewed.Results: Among 512 pediatric patients with FMF, five patients were found to have OIDs: bilateral chronic uveitis, recurrent orbital myositis (ROM), recurrent optic neuritis, and acquired Brown’s syndrome. The first cases of ROM and acquired Brown’s syndrome in FMF have been introduced in the literature. All patients presented with early-onset typical FMF attacks carried at least one M694V mutation and experienced OID while on colchicine. Conclusion: Increased frequency of OIDs in FMF as per the pediatric population and relapsing and chronic course of OIDs occasionally with concurrent FMF attacks suggest that this inflammatory syndrome especially those carrying M694V mutations may be a predisposing factor for OIDs.