Atypical cutaneous features in adult onset Still's disease.

ABSTRACT

Adult onset Still's disease is a rare but potentially serious disease. We present five cases of adult-onset Still's disease seen by us over a period of one year. The patients were all females and 28-39 years of age. Symptoms had been present for 2-6 weeks in three patients. The other two had been on a few years' follow-up for rheumatoid arthritis before the onset of rashes and fever. The patients had persistent erythematous maculopapular eruptions on face, body and extremities, with moderate to severe pruritus and/or a burning sensation that decreased their quality of life. The typical evanescent rash was not observed. High ferritin values were detected in all the patients and total serum IgE was increased in two. All the patients were started on oral prednisolone (0.5-1.0 mg/kg/day), and methotrexate (10-15 mg/week) had to be added in three patients. One patient was started on tocilizumab due to recalcitrant disease and one was lost to follow-up. Further investigation and classification of the various atypical cutaneous findings in adult-onset Still's disease is necessary.