Case report: successful use of short-term add-on tocilizumab for multirefractory systemic flare of adult-onset Still’s disease

We report on a 64-year-old woman with multirefractory flare of adult-onset Still’s disease successfully treated with six-month course of add-on anti-interleukin 6 receptor antibody, tocilizumab. Before administration of tocilizumab, the combination therapy with 80 mg/day of prednisolone and cyclosporine or tacrolimus for five weeks, two courses of pulse methylprednisolone, and high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin could not control the disease. Add-on tocilizumab dramatically improved her disease state and enabled tapering of corticosteroid and tacrolimus. Furthermore remission has been maintained on low-dose corticosteroid and tacrolimus after withdrawal of tocilizumab. This case report suggests that short-term add-on tocilizumab might be a useful therapeutic option for patients with multirefractory flare of polycyclic systemic adult-onset Still’s disease.