Still's disease has symptoms that occur with many other diseases - it is accompanied by fever, rash, enlarged lymph nodes and spleen, and inflammatory changes in the joints. Still's disease usually appears before age 5, but it can also start in adults.
Still's diseaseis a rare autoimmune disease from the group of rheumatic diseases - the immune system targets the soft tissues of its own joints (including cartilage) for unknown reasons, causing inflammation and causing until the development of juvenile arthritis. Mostly it occurs in children under the age of 5, but it can occur in adulthood as well. It is much more common in girls and women.
Still's disease: fever, rash and joint pain
Still's disease begins acutely: appearsfeverup to 40 degrees C and a fine, non-itchy rashrash , most common on the skin of the hands and legs (skin changes disappear after the fever is gone). Blood tests show that the level of white blood cells in the blood is elevated, and some enzymes may also show increased activity). Patients complain of pain in the joints and their stiffening, limiting mobility. Many patients have enlarged lymph nodes. There may be abdominal pain and an enlarged spleen or liver. In some cases, the disease is accompanied by pharyngitis. Inflammation can also occur in the pleura, pericardium and muscles. Patients may lose weight, lose their hair, feel unwell and have a lower appetite.
Treating Still's disease
Still's disease is quite difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to those of many other diseases. During diagnostics, infectious diseases such as mononucleosis, rubella, AIDS, hepatitis B, bacterial infectious diseases, as well as vasculitis, lymphomas, sarcoidosis, other systemic diseases of the connective tissue, among others, are taken into account. lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Still's disease requires acute phase treatment, chronic drug therapy and rehabilitation. Treatment begins with the administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and if such a procedure does not bring the desired therapeutic effect, steroids are administered (the indication is e.g. myocarditis orpericardium, liver damage). If the disease becomes chronic, patients are given disease-modifying drugs such as rheumatoid arthritis and biological drugs. Treatment also requires rehabilitation from the onset of the disease and the occurrence of joint ailments.
Prognosis for Still's disease
Most patients are treated well as long as organ changes and rapid destruction of tissue within the joints do not occur, which may lead to patient disability or even death (due to infection, liver failure or