Adult-onset Still's disease

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Adult-onset Still's disease
Classification and external resources
ICD-10 M06.1
ICD-9 714.2
DiseasesDB 34295
MedlinePlus 000450
MeSH D016706

Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare systemic inflammatory disease characterized by the classic triad of persistent high spiking fevers, joint pain and a distinctive salmon-colored bumpy rash. The disease is considered a diagnosis of exclusion.[1] Levels of the iron-binding protein ferritin may be elevated with this disorder. AOSD may present in a similar manner to other inflammatory diseases and to autoimmune diseases, which must be ruled out before making the diagnosis. Prognosis is usually favorable but manifestations of the disease affecting the lungs, heart, or kidney may occasionally cause severe life-threatening complications.[2] It is treated first with steroids such as prednisone. Drugs that block the action of Interleukin-1, particularly IL-1β, are effective treatments.[citation needed]

Signs and symptoms[edit]

The disease typically presents with joint pain, high fevers, a salmon-pink rash, enlargement of the liver and spleen, swollen lymph nodes, and an increased white blood cell count in the blood.[1] Tests for rheumatoid factor and anti-nuclear antibodies are usually negative and serum ferritin is elevated. Patients experiencing a flare-up from Adult-onset Still's disease usually report extreme fatigue, swelling of the lymph nodes, and less commonly fluid accumulation in the lungs and heart. In rare cases, AOSD can cause aseptic meningitis and sensorineural hearing loss.[1]


The cause of adult-onset Still's disease is unknown, but it presumably involves interleukin-1 (IL-1), since drugs that block the action of IL-1β are effective treatments. Interleukin-18 is expressed at high levels.[2][3]


The diagnosis is clinical, not based upon serology.[4] At least seven sets of diagnostic criteria have been devised, however the Yamaguchi criteria have the highest sensitivity. Diagnosis requires at least five features, with at least two of these being major diagnostic criteria.[5]

Major criteria Minor criteria
Fever of at least 39C for at least one week Sore throat
Arthralgias or arthritis for at least two weeks Lymphadenopathy
Nonpruritic salmon colored rash (usually over trunk or extremities while febrile) Hepatomegaly or splenomegaly
Leukocytosis ( 10,000/microL or greater), with granulocyte predominance Abnormal liver function tests
Negative tests for antinuclear antibody and rheumatoid factor


One set of 21 adult-onset Still's disease patients were divided into four types, according to clinical course patterns. These included monocyclic systemic disease, polycyclic systemic disease, chronic articular monocyclic systemic disease, and chronic articular polycyclic systemic disease. Chronic articular disease and polyarticular disease were at higher risk to develop disabling arthritis.[6]

Adult-onset Still's disease is treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. Steroids such as prednisone are used to treat severe symptoms of Still's. Other commonly used medications include hydroxychloroquine, penicillamine, azathioprine, methotrexate, etanercept, anakinra, cyclophosphamide, adalimumab, rituximab, and infliximab.

Newer drugs target interleukin-1 (IL-1), particularly IL-1β. A randomized, multicenter trial reported better outcomes in a group of 12 patients treated with anakinra than in a group of 10 patients taking other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. [7] Other anti-IL1β drugs are being developed, including canakinumab and rilonacept.[8]

The condition "juvenile-onset Still's disease" is now usually grouped under juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. However, there is some evidence that the two conditions are closely related.[9]


Adult-onset Still's Disease is rare and has been described all over the world. The number of new cases of AOSD per year is estimated to be 0.16 new cases per 100,000 population.[1] Prevalence is estimated at 1.5 cases per 100,000-1,000,000 population.[citation needed] There is a bimodal age distribution with one peak incidence between ages 15–25 and a second peak between ages of 36–46 years.[10]


Still's disease is named after English physician Sir George Frederic Still (1861–1941).[11][12] It was characterized by EG Bywaters in 1971.[1]

See also[edit]


  1. ^ a b c d e Akkara Veetil BM, Yee AH, Warrington KJ, Aksamit AJ Jr, Mason TG (December 2012). "Aseptic meningitis in adult onset Still's disease". Rheumatol Int 32 (12): 4031–4. doi:10.1007/s00296-010-1529-8. PMID 20495923. 
  2. ^ a b Colafrancesco, Serena; Priori, Roberta; Alessandri, Cristiano; Perricone, Carlo; Pendolino, Monica; Picarelli, Giovanna; Valesini, Guido (2012). "IL-18 Serum Level in Adult Onset Still’s Disease: A Marker of Disease Activity". International Journal of Inflammation 2012: 1–6. doi:10.1155/2012/156890. PMC 3385601. PMID 22762008. 
  3. ^ Sugiura, T; Kawaguchi, Y; Harigai, M Terajima-Ichida, H; Kitamura, Y; Furuya, T; Ichikawa, N; Kotake, S; Tanaka, M; Hara, M; Kamatani, N (Nov 2002). "Association between adult-onset Still's disease and interleukin-18 gene polymorphisms.". Genes and immunity 3 (7): 394–9. doi:10.1038/sj.gene.6363922. PMID 12424620. 
  4. ^ Efthimiou P, Kontzias A, Ward CM, Ogden NS; Kontzias; Ward; Ogden (June 2007). "Adult-onset Still's disease: can recent advances in our understanding of its pathogenesis lead to targeted therapy?". Nat Clin Pract Rheumatol 3 (6): 328–35. doi:10.1038/ncprheum0510. PMID 17538564. 
  5. ^ Yamaguchi M, Ohta A, Tsunematsu T, Kasukawa R, Mizushima Y, Kashiwagi H, Kashiwazaki S, Tanimoto K, Matsumoto Y, Ota T; Ohta; Tsunematsu; Kasukawa; Mizushima; Kashiwagi; Kashiwazaki; Tanimoto; Matsumoto; Ota (1992). "Preliminary criteria for classification of adult Still's disease". J. Rheumatol. 19 (3): 424–30. PMID 1578458. 
  6. ^ Cush, JJ; Medsger TA, Jr; Christy, WC; Herbert, DC; Cooperstein, LA (Feb 1987). "Adult-onset Still's disease. Clinical course and outcome.". Arthritis and rheumatism 30 (2): 186–194. doi:10.1002/art.1780300209. PMID 3827959. 
  7. ^ Nordström D; Knight A; Luukkainen R; van Vollenhoven R; et al. (Oct 2012). "Beneficial effect of interleukin 1 inhibition with anakinra in adult-onset Still's disease. An open, randomized, multicenter study.". J. Rheumatol. 39 (10): 2008–11. doi:10.3899/jrheum.111549. PMID 22859346.  Missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  8. ^ Giampietro, C; Cecilia Giampietro1; Bruno Fautrel (2012). "Review Article: Anti-Interleukin-1 Agents in Adult Onset Still's Disease". International Journal of Inflammation 2012 (317820): 317820. doi:10.1155/2012/317820. PMC 3350963. PMID 22611515. 
  9. ^ Luthi F, Zufferey P, Hofer MF, So AK; Zufferey; Hofer; So (2002). ""Adolescent-onset Still's disease": characteristics and outcome in comparison with adult-onset Still's disease". Clin. Exp. Rheumatol. 20 (3): 427–30. PMID 12102485. 
  10. ^ Owlia MB, Mehrpoor G.; Mehrpoor (2009). "Adult - onset Still's disease : A review". Indian J Med Sci 63 (5): 207–21. doi:10.4103/0019-5359.53169. PMID 19584494. 
  11. ^ synd/1773 at Who Named It?
  12. ^ G. F. Still. A special form of joint disease met with in children. Doctoral dissertation, Cambridge, 1896.