Diseases & Conditions

Adult Still's disease

Adult Still's disease is a rare inflammatory condition in which you may experience daily spiking fevers, have achy or swollen joints, and discover a salmon-pink rash appearing on your body. As it progresses, adult Still's disease may lead to chronic arthritis and other complications.

Still's disease is named after an English doctor named George Still, who described the condition in children in 1896. Still's disease is now known as systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). In 1971, the term "adult Still's disease" was used to describe adults who had a condition similar to systemic onset JRA. There's no cure for adult Still's disease; however, treatment may offer symptom relief for adult Still's disease and help prevent complications.

Most people with adult Still's disease experience a combination of the following signs and symptoms:

• Fever. You may experience a daily fever of at least 102 F (38.9 C) for a week or longer. The fever usually peaks in the late afternoon or early evening. Sometimes, you may experience two fever spikes daily. Between episodes, your temperature will likely return to normal.
• Rash. A salmon-pink bumpy or flat rash may come and go with the fever. The rash usually appears on your trunk, arms or legs. Physical contact such as rubbing your skin may provoke the rash to appear.
• Achy and swollen joints. You may find that your joints — especially your knees, wrists, ankles, elbows, hands and shoulders — are stiff, painful and inflamed. Usually, the joint discomfort lasts at least two weeks.
• Muscle pain. Muscular pain associated with adult Still's disease usually ebbs and flows with the fever, but the pain may be severe enough to disrupt your daily activities.

Other signs and symptoms may include:

• Sore throat
• Swollen lymph nodes in your neck
• Enlarged liver or spleen
• Inflammation of the lining of the heart or lungs

Having any of these signs or symptoms doesn't necessarily mean that you have adult Still's disease. The signs and symptoms of this disorder may mimic those of other conditions, including infectious mononucleosis, a type of cancer called lymphoma or other rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis.

When to see a doctor
If you have a high fever, rash and achy joints that have persisted for at least two weeks, see your doctor to determine what may be the cause. Also, if you have adult Still's disease and develop a cough, difficulty breathing, chest pain or any other unusual symptoms, call your doctor.

Although it's not certain what causes adult Still's disease, the condition may be triggered by a viral or bacterial infection.