Adult Still's disease

Adult Still's disease (ASD), also known as adult-onset Still's syndrome, is a rare autoinflammatory disease characterized by daily fever, skin rash and arthritis. The etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of ASD are detailed below.


Etiopathogenesis:

Still's disease is an autoinflammatory disease of unknown etiology, but it is believed that it may be related to a dysfunction of the immune system. Excessive production of inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), has been observed in some cases.


Diagnosis:

The diagnosis of Still's disease is based on the presence of daily fever and arthritis, in addition to other signs and symptoms such as skin rash, abdominal pain, lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly. Exclusion of other causes of fever and arthritis, such as infections and autoimmune diseases, is also required.


Treatment:

Treatment of Still's disease is mainly symptomatic and may include the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to control joint pain and inflammation. In more severe cases, corticosteroids may be used to reduce inflammation and control fever.

In addition, interleukin-1 (IL-1) inhibitors and interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors have been shown to be effective in some patients with ESA.