[Still's disease in children and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, an exceptional association: a case report]

Pan Afr Med J. 2022 Nov 24:43:156. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2022.43.156.33476. eCollection 2022.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Still's disease, also known as systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA), and acute lymphoblastic leukemia have similar clinical and biological features posing diagnostic and treatment challenges. Indeed, while Still's disease is a diagnosis of exclusion in rheumatology, polyarthritis associated with hyperleukocytosis and fever, which is characteristic of this disease, are often detected in early stages of acute lymphocytic leukaemias. We here report the case of a 4-year-old girl, treated for Still's disease, in whom the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia was made after 2 months, based on bone marrow biopsy.

La maladie de Still de l´enfant et la leucémie aigue lymphoblastique ont des similitudes cliniques et biologiques qui posent des problèmes de retard de diagnostic et de prise en charge. En effet, si la maladie de Still est un diagnostic d´exclusion en rhumatologie, la polyarthrite associée à l´hyperleucocytose en contexte fébrile qui la caractérise est souvent rencontrée au cours des leucémies aigues lymphoïdes au stade précoce. Nous rapportons le cas d´une fillette de 4 ans, traitée comme maladie de Still de l´enfant et chez qui le diagnostic de LAL a été posé au bout de 2 mois grâce à une biopsie de la moelle osseuse.

Keywords: Still’s disease; acute lymphoblastic leukemia; case report; child.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Arthritis, Juvenile* / diagnosis
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Fever
  • Humans
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* / complications
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* / diagnosis
  • Spleen
  • Still's Disease, Adult-Onset* / diagnosis