What is Adult Still's Disease?

A rare illness that is a more severe version of JIA, or juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Adult Still's disease causes rash, joint pain, and high fevers. It has a tendency to lead to chronic arthritis. Another name for adult Still's disease is adult-onset Still's disease, or AOSD. The cause and risk factors for this condition are unknown, but we do know it happens in women more frequently than men. Less than one in 100,000 people get adult Still's diesase.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms are rash, sore throat, fever, and joint pain. Several joints are often painful, swollen, and warm. Morning stiffness that last a few hours is common. More signs include weight loss, swollen glands, deep breath pain, and abdominal pain and swelling. There may be some inflammation of the heart and lungs or the spleen and liver.

Diagnosis

Other than blood tests, a physical exam is done to check for arthritis, rashes, and a fever. They will listen to your heart and lungs to listen for changes. Other diagnostic testing that may be done include stomach, joint, and chest x-rays as well as an abdominal CT scan and abdominal ultrasound.

Blood Test Results

Adult Still's Disease blood test results typically appear with a higher than normal ESR and C-reactive protein result and a low number of red blood cells/high number of white blood cells on the CBC test. Fibrinogen and Ferritin levels will be high as well as high levels of ALT and AFT on the liver function test. Both the ANA and the rheumatoid factor tests will be negative. All these results will point to adult Still's disease.

Treatment

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are given to help control the arthritis symptoms. More serious cases may be treated with prednisone. For chronic conditions, there may be immunosuppressant therapy like methotraxate or anakinra given.

20 percent of all Adult Still's disease patients have their symptoms cured without recurrence in about a year. 30 percent will have cured symptoms but will have recurrences. 50 percent of patients will have chronic symptoms. Also, there may be complications that include pleural effusion, an enlarged spleen, pericarditis, liver disease, and arthritis in several joints.

Source: A.D.A.M.