title: Familiar Mediterranean fever mimicking septic arthritis: distinguishing with diffusion weighted imaging.
abstract: FMF arthritis is generally monoarticular in origin. The affected joint is hot, tender, red and mimics septic arthritis. Conventional imaging findings, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound, do not help differentiate between these two entities. The final diagnosis depends on culture of the synovial fluid, and therefore initiation of proper drug therapy can be delayed. Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), with its ability to detect altered water-proton mobility, might play an important role as a fast and non-invasive problem-solving tool in this setting. We here present MRI and DWI findings of a case of FMF arthritis mimicking septic arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, 06510 Besevler-Ankara, Turkey. yusuf@tr.net
authors.forename: Ali Yusuf
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Oner
authors.forename: Murit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ucar
authors.forename: Sergin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akpek
authors.forename: Nil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tokgoz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012782:Shoulder
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media