Ultrasonographic evaluation of FMF patients with exertional leg pain: an overlooked component of the disease
Authors' conclusion
Paediatric FMF patients with ELP demonstrated increased achilles tendon thickness.
Study context
- Population
- Paediatric FMF patients carrying homozygous or compound heterozygous pathogenic MEFV variants, and matched healthy controls50 patients and 25 healthy controls
- Participants
- 25 / 25 / 25
- Exposure
- FMF with exertional leg pain (ELP) vs FMF without ELP vs healthy controls
- ELPn = 25
- Non-ELPn = 25
- Healthy controlsn = 25reference
- Outcome
- US of lower-extremity joints, tendons and entheses
Methodological detailsblinded operator, matched healthy controls
- Blinded operator
- Matched healthy controls
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Achilles tendon thickness significantly increased in ELP vs both healthy and non-ELP, independent of demographic or anthropometric factors
- P < 0.01
- Grade 1 knee synovial effusions, predominantly in ELP, most with subclinical inflammation
- 9 patients
- Enthesitis in one ELP patient, diagnosed with HLA-B27-negative ERA
- 1 patient
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Demographic, anthropometric and FMF-related factors (incl. MEFV mutations, ISSF scores)
- No differences between the groups
Original publication
Ultrasonographic evaluation of FMF patients with exertional leg pain: an overlooked component of the disease. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 24 April 2026. doi:10.
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