familial Mediterranean fever, an autosomal-recessive intestinal disorder usually occurring in people of Mediterranean descent, characterized by short recurrent attacks of fever with pain in the abdomen, chest, or joints and erythema resembling that seen in erysipelas. It is sometimes complicated by secondary amyloidosis. The age of onset is usually between 5 and 15 years. Also called benign paroxysmal peritonitis, familial recurrent polyserositis, periodic peritonitis, periodic polyserositis, recurrent polyserositis.
