Still’s Disease – What it is, Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Still’s Disease – What it is, Causes, Symptoms and Treatments . In addition, adult Still’s disease is a rare systemic inflammatory disorder, which is characterized by high fever  , rashes, and joint pain , which, in the long term, can result in chronic arthritis.

Adult Still’s disease  is  a severe version of juvenile idiopathic arthritis  (JIA), which affects individuals during childhood. It is estimated that every 1 individual in every 100,000 develops this pathology each year and it usually affects women more than men. The cause of this still disease  has not been elucidated to date. So, check out Still’s Disease – What it is, Causes, Symptoms and Treatments .

Symptoms of Still’s Disease:

• fever , which usually comes on abruptly, once a day, typically in the afternoon or at night;
• Joint pain , redness and swelling, with the involvement of several joints ;
• Skin  rash that disappears and reappears with fever .

Other symptoms of still disease  that may also be present are:

• Sore throat;
• Pain  and swelling of the abdomen;
• Pleurisy;
• Lymphadenopathy;
• weight loss .

Diagnosis of Still’s Disease: It is important to rule out other pathologies that cause symptoms similar to  still’s disease . Blood tests may show:

• High leukocyte rate and a low erythrocyte rate;
• C-reactive protein (CRP) and sedimentation rate (ESR) higher than normal;
• High level of ferretin;
• Elevated level of fibrinogen;
• Elevated levels of liver enzymes  aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT);
• Negative test for rheumatoid factor ;

Some imaging tests can be useful to check  for still disease, such as looking for the presence of hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, inflammation of the chest  or joints , such as:

• Abdominal ultrasound;
• Computed tomography of the abdomen;
• X-rays of joints  or chest  .

Research indicates that approximately 20% of patients with this still disease  have no more symptoms after one year of treatment, with no recurrences. In about 30% of patients, symptoms of still disease  disappear but return over the following years, and in about 50% of patients, symptoms persist for a long time.

Treatment for Still’s Disease:  Treatment for still’s disease  can be with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (indomethacin appears effective in the early stages of the disease), corticosteroids , or immunosuppressive agents. Currently, biological agents are being used in the treatment  of still disease in  cases that are non-responsive to steroids and immunosuppressants(4).

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen  are often the first established treatment for still disease . In the most severe cases, prednisone is an option. In cases of persistence of symptoms, immunosuppressive drugs may be useful.

Care and Prevention: As  still disease is degenerative, whose initial symptoms are usually imperceptible, a regular visit to the ophthalmologist is the main way to prevent it. The use of sunglasses is very important, since ultraviolet rays seem to be one of the main factors in the development of the disease.