Common rheumatic diseases of the Middle East.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this article is to educate military physicians and providers about rare, endemic rheumatic diseases that may be encountered in deployments to the Middle East region, specifically Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), Behcet's disease (BD), and tumor necrosis factor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS).

METHODS

We found review articles using MDConsult and Ovid.

RESULTS

Suitable articles were employed to describe the characteristics of each disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Although these diseases are considered rare, they can be endemic to current areas of deployment. Awareness of these conditions may prevent unnecessary and invasive treatment as well as make the clinician aware of possible disease complications.