"Adolescent-onset Still's disease": characteristics and outcome in comparison with adult-onset Still's disease.

Objective: To determine if adolescent onset systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and adult onset Still's disease (AOSD) represent the same clinical continuum of disease.

Methods: Retrospective review of available clinical data on all pediatric and adult patients diagnosed with Still's disease within the last 10 years at a university hospital. Assessment of functional outcomes at last visit by clinical evaluation and HAQ or c-HAQ.

Results: Nine patients were identified as adolescent onset systemic JIA and were compared with 10 patients with AOSD (onset > 18 years old). No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of clinical presentation at onset and outcome at follow up.

Conclusions: Adolescent patients presenting with systemic JIA have a disease onset and course undistinguishable from that of AOSD patients, suggesting that they represent a continuum of a single disease entity.