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juvenile rheumatoid arthritis; juvenile idiopathic arthritis; Still's disease
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in children. An adult form of Still's disease is virtually identical to the childhood variety.
Epidemiology:
- children; also adult-onset Still's disease
Genetics:
- susceptibility associated with genetic variations in: IL6, MMIF
Clinical manifestations:
1) relative to adult RA
- fever more intense (at least 39.0 C); fever spikes daily
- transient (evanescent) rash
- 2-5 mm erythematous papules appearing at height of fever
- nodules rare
- distribution: trunk & proximal extremities
- arthritis, arthralgias
- recurrent pharyngitis
- pericarditis more common, pleuritis
- myalgias
- cardiac valvular disease more common
- lymphadenopathy common
- hepatosplenomegaly common
- RA interferes with bone growth
- underdevelopment of mandible
2) general
- severe, debilitating, extra-articular features
- occasionally fatal complications despite medical treatment
- many children still experience early joint destruction, necessitating surgical replacement
Laboratory:
1) complete blood count
- leukocytosis > 10,000/uL, >= 80% granulocytes
2) erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) > 100 mm/h
3) serum C-reactive protein > 2x upper limit of normal
4) liver function tests
- serum ALT, serum AST, serum LDH generally elevated
5) serum ferritin elevated, > 1000 ug/L (as high as 6000 ug/L)
6) serology
a) rheumatoid factor negative
b) antinuclear antibody negative [2]
Differential diagnosis:
- infection
- lymphoma
- leukemia
Management:
1) NSAIDs are 1st line therapy
2) corticosteroids may be helpful if refractory to NSAIDs
3) escalation of therapy as indicated [4]
a) methotrexate
b) TNF-alpha inhibitor
c) anakinra
d) see rheumatoid arthritis
Interactions
disease interactions
Related
adult-onset Still's disease
General
rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Database Correlations
OMIM 604302
References
- DeGowin & DeGowin's Diagnostic Examination, 6th edition,
RL DeGowin (ed), McGraw Hill, NY 1994, pg 867
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 11, 15, 16, 18.
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 1998, 2009, 2012, 2018.
- OMIM :accession 604302
- Beukelman T et al
2011 American College of Rheumatology Recommendations for the
Treatment of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Initiation and
Safety Monitoring of Therapeutic Agents for the Treatment of
Arthritis and Systemic Features
Arthritis Care & Research 2011, 63:465-482
PMID: 21452260
http://www.rheumatology.org/practice/clinical/guidelines/ACR_2011_jia_full_manuscript.pdf
- Efthimiou P, Paik PK, Bielory L.
Diagnosis and management of adult onset Still's disease.
Ann Rheum Dis. 2006 May;65(5):564-72. Epub 2005 Oct 11.
PMID: 16219707
- Franchini S, Dagna L, Salvo F et al
Efficacy of traditional and biologic agents in different
clinical phenotypes of adult-onset Still's disease.
Arthritis Rheum. 2010 Aug;62(8):2530-5
PMID: 20506370
- Kontzias A, Efthimiou P.
Adult-onset Still's disease: pathogenesis, clinical
manifestations and therapeutic advances.
Drugs. 2008;68(3):319-37.
PMID: 18257609
- National Institute of Arthritis and Muscluloskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/juvenile-arthritis
- Ophthalmologic examinations in children with juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis (American Academy of Pediatrics)
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;117/5/1843