Protracted febrile myalgia syndrome in a kidney transplant recipient with familial Mediterranean fever.

Drug-induced toxic myopathy is a complication of familial Mediterranean fever in patients who receive colchicine, especially when combined with cyclosporine. Protracted febrile myalgia syndrome is a severe form of familial Mediterranean fever. A 34-year-old man who had familial Mediterranean fever for > 15 years developed kidney failure because of secondary amyloidosis. He received living-unrelated-donor kidney transplant that functioned normally. He was on colchicine prophylaxis that was continued after transplant, and he received immuno-suppression induction with antithymocyte globulin and maintenance with prednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil, and cyclosporine. After 2 months, he presented with severe myopathy and elevated creatine kinase. Muscle biopsy showed evidence of drug-induced toxic myopathy, most likely caused by cyclosporine in combination with colchicine. Cyclosporine was replaced with sirolimus and colchicine was stopped. Symptoms partially improved and creatine kinase decreased to normal. The prednisolone dosage was reduced gradually to 5 mg daily. At 8 months after transplant, he was readmitted because of severe arthralgia, prolonged fever, pleuritic chest pain, diffuse abdominal pain, purpuric rash, macroscopic hematuria, proteinuria, and diarrhea. The C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were elevated. The clinical diagnosis was recurrent familial Mediterranean fever presenting as protracted febrile myalgia syndrome. Despite the history of toxic myopathy, he was restarted on colchicine (0.5 mg, twice daily), and colchicine was well tolerated. There was marked improvement of most symptoms within several days. Follow-up 5 years later showed normal kidney graft function and no familial Mediterranean fever activity on colchicine prophylaxis. In summary, familial Mediterranean fever reactivation and protracted febrile myalgia syndrome after kidney transplant may be treated with colchicine and modulation of immunosuppressive therapy.