What is Juvenile Arthritis?
December 3rd, 2011 | 
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Arthritis causes inflammation (swelling) of the joints that causes pain and tumescence (swelling). Although many people believe that arthritis is a disease of the elderly, various forms of arthritis can affect people of any age. When a child under 16 has arthritis, it is called juvenile arthritis. In the U.S., approximately 285,000 children suffer from some form of this disease.
The forms of juvenile arthritis are more common
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, also called juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common form of juvenile arthritis. It is believed that juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, which means that for unknown reasons, the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues either as it should react against a foreign invader, such as a virus or bacteria. In juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, the lining of the joint (called the synovium) becomes inflamed or enlarged, limiting movement and causing pain and sensitivity.
The enzymes released by the inflamed membranes cause more damage because it erodes the bone and cartilage. This type of damage in the bone and the joint may cause problems in a growing child. If affected areas of growth, the bones may grow at different rates and therefore could suffer and bone abnormalities in shape and size. The result could be, for example, that one leg is shorter than the other permanently. There are three subcategories of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis:
Systemic onset type of the disease begins with a whole body reaction with high fever, skin rash on the legs, arms and trunk joint inflammation, signs of inflammation in the joints and signs of inflammation other organs of the body, such as swollen lymph nodes or the lining of the lungs (pleurisy). A child may have one or more episodes of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, systemic type that will eventually go away, or the condition may persist into adulthood.
Pauciarticular onset of the disease are affected less than five joints, is the most common form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The longer joints like the knees, elbows and ankles are the most affected, but not always the same joints on both sides. For example, could be affected leg’s knee and ankle of the other leg. Symptoms include pain, swelling, stiffness, redness and warmth in the affected joint. Children with this type of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are particularly susceptible to an eye inflammation called iridocyclitis.
Often these children need to be evaluated by an ophthalmologist, perhaps as often as every three months because they may not have symptoms but do permanent damage to the eye even when the other symptoms of JRA are controlled. The treatment of iridocyclitis is highly effective. Many or most children with pauciarticular form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis observed that the disease subsides with time.
Polyarticular disease, affected five or more joints, usually involves the small joints, such as the fingers and toes, but may also be affected large joints. Symptoms include the same inflammatory symptoms as those of other types of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, as well as fever and lumps called nodules near the joints. Generally, the same joints are affected on both sides.
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is more common in girls than in boys, is usually more serious than the other two types of arthritis and often leads to long-term problems in the joints. In the 5 to 10% of cases, the antibody called rheumatoid factor can be detected with a blood test, which in turn subclassified into seropositive juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is more like seropositive rheumatoid arthritis in adults and is often still evident in adulthood.
Juvenile ankylosing spondylitis: affects the large joints of the lower body, particularly the lower spine and hips. The key symptoms are pain and stiffness in the lower spine, especially in the mornings. Better with exercising. It often affects more boys than girls.
Reactive arthritis (formerly Reiter syndrome): This type of arthritis can develop over weeks and months before a child has been exposed to certain bacteria, including salmonella or yersinia associated with diarrhea. The disease usually occurs suddenly. The key symptoms are fever with pain and swelling in several joints, conjunctivitis (eye inflammation) and painful urination.
Juvenile psoriatic arthritis: This type of chronic arthritis, which seems to have a genetic component, affects some children with psoriasis. The key symptoms other than pain and swelling in joints, fingernails are dimpled, psoriasis and scaly, raised rash behind the ears, in the pubic area on the scalp or other body areas.
Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus): Although lupus usually does not manifest before adolescence, when it occurs in children is very similar to lupus in adults. This disease can cause inflammation and tissue damage in many areas of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood vessels, brain, heart, muscles or kidneys. The disease often appears in episodes that appear and disappear without a particular reason. The key symptoms include a rash on the cheeks, sensitivity to sunlight, sores in the nose and mouth, joint pain, seizures or other signs of neurological problems and chest pain.
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