Amyloid goitre in familial Mediterranean fever.

Three patients known to suffer from familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), systemic amyloidosis and chronic renal failure developed large amyloid goitres. Amyloid goitre is an extremely rare complication of systemic amyloidosis not previously described in FMF. The clinical and pathological features of these three cases were similar to those previously described in amyloid goitre. In two of the patients abnormalities in thyroid function were consistent with those documented in chronic renal failure. There was evidence of hypothyroidism in a third patient. There was no evidence of amyloid induced dysfunction of other endocrine organs.