Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

This article does not deal with the more general topic of childhood arthritis.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Other namesJuvenile rheumatoid arthritis[1]
SpecialtyRheumatology
Differential diagnosisAmplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome[2]
Prevalence3.8-400 in 100,000[3]

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), formerly known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA),[1] is the most common chronic rheumatic disease of childhood, affecting approximately 3.8 to 400 out of 100,000 children.[3] Juvenile, in this context, refers to disease onset before 16 years of age, while idiopathic refers to a condition with no defined cause, and arthritis is inflammation within the joint.[4]

JIA is an autoimmune, noninfective, inflammatory joint disease, the cause of which remains poorly understood. It is characterised 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 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, which is an achievable goal for some children with this condition.[5]

  1. ^ a b "Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)". WebMD.
  2. ^ "Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS)". Children's Health.
  3. ^ a b Thierry, S; Fautrel, B; Lemelle, I; Guellemin, F (March 2014). "Prevalence and incidence of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: A systematic review". Joint Bone Spine. 81 (2): 112–117. doi:10.1016/j.jbspin.2013.09.003. PMID 24210707.
  4. ^ Prakken, B; Albani, S; Martini, A (18 June 2021). "Juvenile idiopathic arthritis". Lancet. 377 (9783): 2138–49. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60244-4. PMID 21684384. S2CID 202802455.
  5. ^ Giancane, Gabriella; Consolaro, Alessandro; Lanni, Stefano; Davì, Sergio; Schiappapietra, Benedetta; Ravelli, Angelo (12 August 2016). "Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Diagnosis and Treatment". Rheumatology and Therapy. 3 (2): 187–207. doi:10.1007/s40744-016-0040-4. PMC 5127964. PMID 27747582.