Clinical features and prognosis of adult-onset Still's disease: 75 cases from China
This study evaluated the clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes, and complications of patients with adult onset Still's disease (AOSD) in our local Chinese population. Patients with AOSD attending our hospital from 2008 to 2011 were identified and followed up. Their clinical and laboratory features at presentation, as well as their disease progression, treatments, and outcomes were recorded and compared with other reported series. A total of 75 patients with AOSD were identified. Forty-four were female. Thirty-nine had disease onset between 16 and 35 years of age. The most common presenting features were fever (96%), arthritis (57.33%), rash (78.67%), and sore throat (49.3%). The acute phase response was marked in most patients, with elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates (77.05%) and C-reactive protein levels (84.06%). Hyperferritinemia was present in 74.14% of cases, and serum ferritin (SF) levels declined after treatment in most cases. Liver abnormalities were usually transient, but were more severe in 5 patients. Most patients (92%) required corticosteroid therapy; of these, 33.3% also received disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or immunosuppressive drugs. Sixty-four and 45.33% patients with AOSD achieved partial and complete remission, respectively, after 2 weeks of treatment, and 92% and 74.67%, respectively, after 1 month. The cumulative relapse rate was 45.3%. Patients with AOSD had complex symptoms with no specific laboratory findings. Reduced SF levels after treatment and liver abnormalities may be used to follow treatment outcome.