Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome: A case report

Abstract

Summary In children, recurrent or periodic fever complaints are more common. PFAPA syndrome is a common cause of periodic fever in childhood with recurrent episodes of sudden onset fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical lymphadenopathy with unknown etiology.This syndrome, which usually observes under 5 years of age and common in boys, has a benign course and with no long-term sequelae. Although clinical findings are clear enough, as there is no specific test for these diseases, it is sometimes hard to diagnose. Patients are taking antibiotic treatment unnecessarily. Treatment options; steroid therapy and sometimes tonsillectomy. PFAPA syndrome usually resolves during adolescence, but evidence suggests that this can continue until adulthood. Here, we reported a 4-years old boy who was admitted to our family medicine clinic for recurrent high fever, tonsillitis and aphthous stomatitis. In this article, we reviewed PFAPA syndrome and emphasized the importance of its diagnosis in the primary care.