AUTOINFLAMMATORY SYNDROMES

This group fo diseases is very rare. However, their initial symptoms are common: fever, joint pain, skin rashes. In most cases, the reason for these diseases are mutations in the so called inflammasome; this is a functional unit of the inborn immune system which is responsible for recognizing and defeating of e.g. bacteria. During my fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland/USA, I dealt with this SPECTRUM of diseases. They comprise e.g. the familial mediterranean fever, the CAPS, Still`s disease and the Schintzler syndrome.

A work-up demands a lot of detail work, precise investigations of long lasting medical histories as well as an interdisciplinary cooperation with dedicated physicians of other disciplines.