Still’s disease is a special form of arthritis. It only affects adults, but resembles a serious condition otherwise only seen in children. Here you can find out what the disease is all about.
Still’s disease is also known as Adult-Onset Still’s Disease (AoSD). The clinical picture is one of the autoimmune diseases. The defenses of the immune system attack the body’s own tissue. In a way, the body fights an infection without pathogens being present. As a result, according to the NDR, Still’s disease causes fever, rash and joint problems. In severe cases, the disease can spread to other parts of the body or even the entire body.
Why Still’s disease occurs in some people (like most other autoimmune diseases) is unclear, according to the Cleveland Clinic. However, according to the German Society for Rheumatology (DRG), Still’s disease is easily treatable with the right medication.
Still’s disease: definition, diagnosis and symptoms
The symptoms of Still’s disease are very similar to systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA for short), which according to the NDR only occurs in children. Both diseases are among the inflammatory rheumatic diseases and are extremely rare. According to the DRG, Still’s disease affects less than one in 100,000 people. The extent to which genetic factors play a role in the development of the disease has not yet been finally clarified.
Since the clinical picture is so rare, it takes a particularly long time for those affected to actually diagnose the disease. Another problem: the symptoms are initially non-specific. According to the DRG, Still’s disease usually begins with a sore throat and unexplained fever, which usually occurs in the evening. In the early stages, a salmon-colored skin rash is also common.
As the disease progresses, typical rheumatic symptoms such as inflammation and pain in the hand, elbow, ankle and knee joints appear. For a clear diagnosis, doctors also use laboratory values. According to the NDR, these show increased inflammation levels and often more white blood cells than usual in Still’s disease. An enlarged liver and spleen, swollen lymph nodes and inflammation in the pleura and pericardium also indicate the presence of the rare disease.
Still’s disease: therapy and complications
According to the DRG, it is particularly important in Still’s disease that the disease is recognized early. This is the only way doctors can order professional therapy and thus avoid consequential damage. In the worst case, Still’s disease can spread to the entire body and even lead to paralysis, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
However, if the diagnosis is clear, doctors can prescribe medication that relieves the symptoms. According to the DGR, cortisone and anti-rheumatic drugs are usually used.
However, these drugs are not always enough. In severe cases, the condition gets worse over time. According to the DRG, this is the case for about one to two thirds of those affected. Then the disease could even become life-threatening by leading to multi-organ failure or coagulation disorders. Because Still’s disease is not necessarily limited to the joints, but can also spread to the heart, lungs or eyes and trigger inflammatory processes there.
For more severe courses, the DGE therefore recommends the administration of modern biologics. These are antibodies that can compensate for the overreaction of the immune system. The effectiveness of these drugs has been confirmed in studies.
In order for them to actually be able to help those affected, however, the diagnosis must first be accelerated. To do this, Still’s disease must above all be anchored more firmly in the awareness of physicians.
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