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Document Details : Title: Progressive bouts of acute abdomen: PET the peritoneum Author(s): LALEMAN W, VANDERSCHUEREN S, MORTELMANS L, KNOCKAERT DC Journal: Acta Clinica Belgica Volume: 56 Issue: 1 Date: 2001 Pages: 46-50 DOI: 10.2143/ACB.56.1.1002833 Abstract : The recent discovery of the mutated gene responsible for Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is supposed to facilitate its diagnosis which up till now is a clinical one because there are no specific laboratory tests. The sensitivity of genetic testing is limited because these tests search only for known mutations. In this case report we describe a patient with periodic abdominal pain in whom the diagnosis of FMF was wrongly discarded because of lack of a durable effect of colchicine and negative genetic testing. Diffuse peritoneal inflammation was nicely demonstrated by a FDGPET (fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron-emission tomography) performed during a typical crisis. We discuss the possible diagnostic pitfalls and conclude that a crisis-PET might upgrade the level of diagnostic certainty in equivocal cases. |
