Objective The pursuit of salvage treatment for refractory macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) associated with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is of paramount importance. This paper aims to investigate the application options and therapeutic efficacy of ruxolitinib in the treatment of refractory sJIA-MAS. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of a child with refractory sJIA-MAS and the outcome following the administration of ruxolitinib. Results An 11-year-old girl, diagnosed with sJIA for four years and having experienced two previous episodes of MAS, was admitted to the hospital due to active sJIA and developed MAS again during the treatment course. Despite three rounds of high-dose methylprednisolone pulse therapy in combination with cyclosporine A and tocilizumab (TCZ), her condition failed to improve, with persistent high fever and severe liver function impairment, among other abnormal laboratory indicators. After discontinuing TCZ and initiating ruxolitinib with an adjusted oral dose of 10 mg twice daily, the child's condition improved, enabling a smooth reduction of the hormone dosage. Ruxolitinib was discontinued after approximately three months of treatment, and there was no recurrence of the disease. Conclusion Ruxolitinib may potentially serve as a salvage treatment option for refractory sJIA-MAS.