A complicated fever

Abstract

Fever of unknown origin is a common problem in medical practice and assemble a broad spectrum of diagnostic possibilities. We report a case of a 24-year-old woman with high-spiking fever. A diagnosis of adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD) was made. This is a rare inflammatory disease with an unknown aetiology. The diagnosis of adult-onset Still’s disease can be very difficult. There are no specific tests and reliance is usually placed on a symptom complex and the well described typical rash seen in most patients. Thus, the diagnosis is made by exclusion and with the help of diagnostic criteria. The treatment of this disease has to limit the intensity of the symptoms, and this is usually obtained with NSAIDs (NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), and to control the disease evolution, through the use of corticosteroid, methotrexate or ciclosphorine A. In the case here described treatment with corticosteroid met with a good response.

Keywords

• Adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD)
• Inflammatory disease
• Fever of unknown origin