Bone scintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging in adult-onset Still's disease

Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is an acute systemic inflammatory disord er of unknown origin. We report a patient whose AOSD presented with the com monly accepted diagnostic clinical signs and laboratory parameters. The pai nful joints distinctly demonstrated increased uptake of Tc-99m-methylene di phosphonate in scintigraphy and areas of increased gadolinium-enhanced sign al in MRI. Biopsies indicated bone marrow edema. AOSD in association with b one marrow edema had not been previously demonstrated. AOSD is often diagno sed after a considerable delay, bone scintigraphy, and magnetic resonance i maging may offer new imaging techniques for early diagnosis and succesfull therapy in follow-up examinations.