Fundal Changes Resembling Colloid Bodies in Recurrent Polyserositis (Periodic Disease)

Abstract

In 1946, two of us (M. R. and E. N. E.) first observed a clinical syndrome which consisted of paroxysms of fever accompanied by abdominal and chest pain due to inflammation of the peritoneum and the pleura. The condition was then described as "recurrent benign polyserositis." At about the same time and subsequently a similar clinical picture was detailed by Siegal (1945, 1949), under the heading of "benign paroxysmal peritonitis," and by others, under various designations (Mamou and Cattan, 1952; Schapiro and Treinin, 1953; Heller, Kariv, Sherf, and Zohar, 1955; Rachmilewitz, Ehrenfeld, and Eliakim, 1958). Reimann (1948) first used the name of "periodic disease" which has been widely accepted. However, in the original and in subsequent reports Reimann included a variety of recurrent disorders with different clinical manifestations. Recently this condition was extensively reviewed by Mamou (1956). The prevalence of recurrent Polyserositis among people from Mediterranean countries has been stressed.