Pulmonary artery hypertension prior to the relapse of adult-onset Still's disease

Abstract

Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare inflammatory autoimmune disorder characterized by fever, skin rash, and arthralgia. Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) rarely occurs with AOSD and has not been reported in the absence of typical symptoms of AOSD. A 33-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with dyspnoea on exertion. Although she had not had symptoms of AOSD for 18 months before her admission, she presented with gradually progressing PAH. Because she had no typical symptoms of AOSD, she was treated with pulmonary vasodilators. However, her PAH did not improve. At one month after vasodilator treatment, she developed a high fever with elevation of ferritin. We determined that her AOSD had relapsed. Immunosuppressants were started and both her AOSD and PAH quickly improved. PAH may develop in the absence of typical symptoms of AOSD and immunosuppressants may be effective in such a case.