Prognosis is usually favorable but manifestations of the disease affecting the lungs, heart, or kidneys may occasionally cause severe life-threatening complications.
[3] Obvious similarities exist with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (also known as "juvenile-onset Still's disease"),[4] and there is some evidence that the two conditions are closely related.
Patients experiencing a flare-up from adult-onset Still's disease usually report extreme fatigue, swelling of the lymph nodes and, less commonly, fluid accumulation in the lungs and heart.
In rare cases, AOSD can cause life-threatening complications, including hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, intervertebral disc calcification (IVDC), fulminant hepatitis, or disabling conditions such as aseptic meningitis and sensorineural hearing loss.
[10] The cause of adult-onset Still's disease is unknown and it is not heritable, but it presumably involves interleukin-1 (IL-1), since medications that block the action of IL-1β are effective treatments.
People with chronic articular and polyarticular disease were at higher risk to develop disabling arthritis.
Other commonly used medications include hydroxychloroquine, penicillamine, azathioprine, methotrexate, etanercept, anakinra, tocilizumab, cyclophosphamide, adalimumab, rituximab, and infliximab.