Still’s Disease is a form of arthritis that is characterized by high spiking fevers and evanescent salmon-colored rash. Still’s disease is one type of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and is also known as systemic-onset JRA. It was first described in children, but it is now known to occur in adults.
Still’s Disease is a disease of inflammation. It can effect the joints, tissues, and organs in the person given the diagnosis. Still’s is a rare disease. It occurs in approximately 1 out 100,000 people.
The cause of Still’s disease is still unknown but there have been a number of schools of thought regarding its cause. One is that Still’s disease is due to infection with a microbe. Another concept is that Still’s disease is a hypersensitive or autoimmune disorder.
Symptoms of Still’s Disease include extreme fatigue with waves of high fevers that rise to 104 degrees F (41 degrees C) or even higher, faint salmon-colored skin rash, swelling of the lymph glands, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and sore throat. Some patients develop inflammation of the lungs (pleuritis) or around the heart (pericarditis). Joints are also affected in Still’s Disease.
Treatment of Still’s Disease is directed toward the individual areas of inflammation. Antiinflammatory drugs, such as aspirin or other non-steroid drugs are also used to control the disease. Research for other treatment methods is still ongoing.
Source: stillsdisease.org
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