Persistent pruritic papules and plaques: a characteristic histopathologic presentation seen in a subset of patients with adult-onset and juvenile Still's disease.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: 'Persistent pruritic papules and plaques' of Still's disease represents a recently described eruption seen in a subset of patients. Most cases reported in the literature to date have been associated with adult-onset Still's disease. METHODS: We present the clinical and histopathologic examinations of three female patients ranging in age from 15 to 54 years. RESULTS: Our three patients each presented with clinical findings consistent with Still's disease. The youngest patient suffered from the juvenile form of Still's disease (systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis). Each patient had a persistent, pruritic eruption with histopathologic findings of dyskeratosis confined to the upper layers of the epidermis as well as a sparse superficial dermal infiltrate containing scattered neutrophils. CONCLUSIONS: These cases confirm the characteristic clinical and histopathologic findings of 'persistent papules and plaques of Still's disease' and show the potential for this eruption in both the adult and juvenile age groups.