General
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) that we find sometimes called juvenile chronic arthritis is a disease of childhood that leads to inflammation and swelling of joints that are often stiff and painful. JRA affects about one child per 1,000 children aged 16 years or below.
There are three types of JRA. Each form is based on the number of joints affected in first 6 months of activity:
- Pauciarticular JRA (also called oligoarthritis) is the most common type, affecting approximately 60% of all children with JRA. This form has an up to 4 joints affected
- Polyarticular JRA (also known as polyarthritis) affects approximately 30% of children with JRA. There are five or more joints affected
- Systemic JRA affects 10% of children with JRA. This form presents generalized symptoms such as fever, rash appearing before joint damage. JRA can affect any number of joints.
Unlike adults with rheumatoid arthritis, most children with JRA have no long-term illness or disability and will have a healthy adult life. To reflect this good prognosis usually a number of increasingly high international experts no longer use the term “RF” to describe this disease. Now refers JRA juvenile idiopathic arthritis (ARI), idiopathic means of unknown cause.
Causes
The causes of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are not well known. Most experts are convinced that the disease is determined by many factors including:
- An exaggerated immune system that attack its own tissues as if they were foreign bodies
- Viral or bacterial infections that are suspected to trigger the autoimmune process
- Genetic factors that lead to inappropriate immune system reactions. A recent study including relatives of children with JRA showed a greater spread of other autoimmune diseases than in other families. It is possible that these families to have genes that are more susceptible to autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis and AJR.
A number of increasingly high international experts no longer use the term “RF” to describe this disease. As international terminology becomes increasingly used new names appear every form of juvenile arthritis.
Risk Factors
There are no known risk factors for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) currently. However, a recent study of children with JRA relatives made aware of a higher recurrence of autoimmune diseases in these families. It is possible that these gene families have more susceptible to autoimmune diseases including JRA.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms are present in all forms of arthritis juvenile arthritis are:
- Joint pain and swelling that come and go but often are persistent
- Joint stiffness (stiffness, limitation of joint movement) that lasts more than an hour in the morning
- Irritability, refusal to walk or to protect the joint. Father noticed the child limp or avoid using some joints
- Updates often unpredictable symptoms, from periods without symptoms (remission) periods with pronounced symptoms (relapse).
Although pain is a common symptom of AJR’s child may not identify it as a problem. The child may be more anxious in the presence of symptoms as joint stiffness and to describe them better. Some experts believe that some children do not express or identify pain due to medical procedures aversion.
Associated symptoms vary depending on the type of JRA that your children have.
Impaired vision translates into no early symptoms before permanent vision loss. It is therefore very important for a child with JRA ophthalmological damage early identification of vision so that treatment is started before the advent of vision problems. If symptoms are present may include: blurred vision, persistent pain, red eyes, sensitivity to light and vision loss.
Febrile periods due to JRA typically reach 39.4C to 41.1C, one to two episodes per day with a fall to normal between spikes.
JRA is dotted rash on without relief and sometimes red or pink deleted and may be associated with fever. May erupt on the trunk, face, palms, plants (feet) and underarms. Hives may appear and disappear and appear in late evening or early morning. It can also occur after hot bath or by rubbing or scratching the skin.
Other diseases with similar symptoms are pain intensity increasing ARJ, overuse, injury, bone infections, among others. Many conditions can give pain and joint stiffness in children. Occasional joint pain most commonly is related to an accident or aggravating factors as excessive application in sport. JRA is a relatively uncommon cause of these symptoms.
Some children have forms of chronic arthritis are similar and yet different from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. These conditions are called spondilartropatii this article. Examples of spondilartropatii are ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter syndrome and psoriatic arthritis.
