Pulmonary arterial hypertension and acute respiratory distress syndrome in a patient with adult-onset stills disease

Adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD) is an inflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent fevers, arthralgia, leukocytosis, and a salmon-colored rash. Diagnosis is made based on the Yamaguchi criteria. Various cardiac and pulmonary manifestations have been described in association with AOSD, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We describe the first case of both PAH and ARDS in a patient with AOSD who, despite aggressive therapy, declined rapidly and ultimately died. There was concern for pulmonary veno-occlusive disease given the rate of her decompensation, but this was found not to be the case on autopsy. Treatment of AOSD with cardiopulmonary involvement requires rapid identification of AOSD followed by aggressive immunosuppression.