Successful treatment of familial Mediterranean fever attacks with thalidomide in a colchicine resistant patient

E. Seyahi, H. Ozdogan, S. Masatlioglu, H. Yazici

Department of Rheumatology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, University of Istanbul, Turkey

ABSTRACT
Colchicine is the treatment of choice in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) both for attacks and for prevention of secondary amyloidosis. The overall non-responder rate varies from 5-10 to 40 %. Thalidomide is known to blunt the acute phase response. We report the efficacy of the addition of thalidomide to colchicine in controlling the febrile attacks and acute phase response in a patient with FMF resistant to 2 mg colchicine per day.

Key words
FMF, colchicine, thalidomide.

Please address correspondence and reprint requests to: Huri Ozdogan, MD, Kasaneler sok. Ilgin ap. 6/5, Erenkoy, Istanbul 81160, Turkey. 
E-mail: nozdogan@superonline.com.

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2002; 20: (Suppl. 26): S43-S44.
© Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2002.