Changes in Cerebral Blood Flow in Patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever.

INTRODUCTION: It is known that there is a relationship between systemic inflammation and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is one of the best-known causes of cerebrovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to assess cerebral blood flow velocity using transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF).

METHODS: A total of 30 patients aged from 20 to 50 years with FMF were enrolled in the FMF group consecutively. The control group (non-FMF group) consisted of 30 age- and sex-matched randomly selected patients without FMF who had other diagnoses such as fibromyalgia and did not have risk factors for atherosclerosis. Bilateral peak-systolic, end-diastolic, and mean blood flow velocities in the middle cerebral artery (MCA), values of Gosling's pulsatility index, and values of Pourcelot's resistance index were recorded using TCD ultrasonography by a neurosonologist blinded to the FMF and control groups.

RESULTS: There were 30 participants in the FMF group in remission (male/female: 4/26, mean age: 34.7±5.9 years) and 30 participants in the control group (male/female: 4/26, mean age: 32.3±4.7 years). C-reactive protein levels and bilateral blood flow velocities in the MCA were significantly higher in the FMF group than in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that persistent clinical and subclinical inflammation in patients with FMF causes an increase in cerebral blood flow velocities. Our findings provide an insight into this association between FMF and cerebrovascular diseases.