When doctors lack knowledge and deal with uncertainty.

Abstract

General practitioners are often confronted with problems, where their knowledge base may be lacking and/or diagnostic uncertainty exists, but competent management is still needed. Sometimes a case brings these issues very much to the fore, and in this case study the problem of familial Mediterranean fever is used to highlight some of the issues involved. This article also summarises this unusual condition which, with recent immigration patterns, may become more frequent in Australasia.