"Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), formerly known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), is the most common chronic rheumatic disease of childhood, affecting approximately 3.8 to 400 out of 100,000 children."
An overview of the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic childhood disease.
Definition and Epidemiology: Understanding what Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis is, its causes, how often it occurs, and who are more prone to getting it.
Symptoms and Clinical Manifestations: Understanding the symptoms and clinical manifestations of JRA, including joint pain, stiffness, swelling, fever, and fatigue.
Diagnosis and Assessment: The various diagnostic tests and tools used to diagnose juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and how to assess the disease's severity.
Treatment: Explanation of the current standard treatments for JRA, including medication, physical therapy, and surgery, and how they work.
Outcomes and Prognosis: The possible outcomes of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and the determinants of the disease's long-term prognosis.
Co-occurring Conditions: Other health conditions that may be associated with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, such as iritis, anemia, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Self-Management and Coping Strategies: Methods to manage JRA independently and to cope with the challenges of living with a chronic illness.
Genetics and Inheritance: The genetic factors that may influence the development of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and how this information may help in future research.
Management During Pregnancy and Childhood: Understanding how juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects pregnancy and childhood development, including the impact of treatments.
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A close look at the different types of juvenile arthritis, including juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and how they differ from each other.
Research and Clinical Trials: Information about ongoing research and clinical trials related to juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and potential new treatments.
Health Care Team and Support Systems: Understanding who should be a part of the health care team, such as rheumatologists, pediatricians, and physical therapists, and the importance of building a support system.
Systemic JIA: This is the subtype of JRA that affects the entire body. Symptoms include high fever, rash, inflammation of internal organs, swollen lymph nodes, and joint pain.
Oligoarticular JIA: This is the most common type of JRA and affects one to four joints in the body. The symptoms include joint pain, stiffness, and swelling, particularly in the knees and ankles.
Polyarticular JIA: This subtype affects five or more joints in the body. The symptoms include joint pain, stiffness, and swelling, particularly in the small joints of the hands and feet.
Psoriatic JIA: This subtype is associated with the skin condition psoriasis. It affects both the skin and joints and can cause joint pain, stiffness, and swelling.
Enthesitis-related JIA: This subtype affects the joints where tendons and ligaments attach to bones. It can cause joint pain, swelling, and stiffness, particularly in the joints of the lower body.
Undifferentiated JIA: This subtype is diagnosed when a child has JIA symptoms that do not fit into any other subtype.
"Juvenile, in this context, refers to disease onset before 16 years of age."
"Idiopathic refers to a condition with no defined cause."
"It is characterized by chronic joint inflammation."
"JIA is a subset of childhood arthritis, but unlike other, more transient forms of childhood arthritis, JIA persists for at least six weeks, and in some children is a lifelong condition."
"It differs significantly from forms of arthritis commonly seen in adults (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis), in terms of cause, disease associations, and prognosis."
"The cause of JIA remains poorly understood."
"Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), formerly known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), is the most common chronic rheumatic disease of childhood."
"The prognosis for children with JIA has improved dramatically over recent decades, particularly with the introduction of biological therapies and a shift towards more aggressive treatment strategies."
"JIA treatment aims for normal physical and psychosocial functioning."
"The introduction of biological therapies... has improved the prognosis for children with JIA."
"In some children, JIA is a lifelong condition."
"JIA... differs significantly from more transient forms of childhood arthritis."
"JIA is an autoimmune, noninfective, inflammatory joint disease."
"Juvenile, in this context, refers to disease onset before 16 years of age."
"Idiopathic refers to a condition with no defined cause."
"It is characterized by chronic joint inflammation."
"JIA treatment aims for normal physical and psychosocial functioning."
"It differs significantly from forms of arthritis commonly seen in adults (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis), in terms of cause, disease associations, and prognosis."
"The prognosis for children with JIA has improved dramatically over recent decades."