Juvenile Arthritis

Juvenile arthritis is a general term that describes the various types of arthritis that may occur between birth and 16 years of age.

Arthritis is a general term describing a variety of conditions that cause pain, stiffness, swelling and often inflammation in one or more joints. It is often thought that arthritis only affects older people, but around one in every 1,000 children have some form of juvenile arthritis.

The cause of juvenile arthritis is not known. Genes are thought to cause or contribute to some types, but lifestyle factors or triggers have not been found to explain why arthritis occurs in some children. Prevention is not possible, since the cause is not known.

Symptoms

Some of the symptoms of juvenile arthritis can include:

  • Joint pain
  • Joint swelling
  • Joint stiffness
  • Fever and general feeling of being unwell
  • Skin rashes
  • Anaemia
  • Vision problems.
  • Eye Inflammation
  • Fatigue

Diagnosis methods

Juvenile arthritis is diagnosed using a number of tests including:

  • Medical history.
  • Physical examination.
  • Blood tests – however most children diagnosed with juvenile arthritis do not have rheumatoid factor in their blood, so blood tests do not eliminate juvenile arthritis.
  • X-rays.
  • Eye examination.

Treatment options

In most cases, early diagnosis and treatment means a good outlook for the child with juvenile arthritis. Doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, podiatrists, psychologists and social workers may all be a part of the team that treats the child.

Treatments may include:

  • Physiotherapy to strengthen muscles, keep the joints flexible and encourage normal limb development.
  • Hydrotherapy
  • Medications such as NSAIDs (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs) and DMARDs (disease modifying anti rheumatoid drugs) to reduce inflammation in the affected joints and avoid long-term damage to those joints. New medications called ‘biologics’ are sometimes used for more severe cases.
  • Analgesics are used to treat pain
  • Steroids

Common types of juvenile arthritis

  • Oligoarthritis
  • Polyarticular arthritis – rheumatoid factor negative
  • Polyarticular arthritis – rheumatoid factor positive
  • Enthesitis arthritis
  • Psoriatic arthritis.
  • Ankylosing Spondylitis

Where to get help

  • Your GP
  • A specialist paediatric rheumatologist
  • Physiotherapist