Juvenile arthritis is a rheumatological disease that causes inflammation of one or more joints, resulting in symptoms such as pain, swelling and redness in the joints, and can also affect other organs such as the skin, heart, lungs, eyes and kidneys.
The cause of this type of arthritis is not yet fully known, but it appears to be related to genetic and environmental factors, causing immune system cells to attack the joints, as if they were foreign to the body.
Read too: Arthritis: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment
Juvenile arthritis, also known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis, affects children up to the age of 16, and treatment is carried out by a pediatric rheumatologist who may recommend the use of medication or physiotherapy to alleviate symptoms, prevent the disease from progressing and improve quality of life. of life.
Juvenile arthritis symptoms
The main symptoms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis are:
- Pain and swelling in one or more joints;
- Stiffness in the affected joint, especially in the morning;
- Difficulty moving an arm or leg;
- Child’s refusal to walk;
- Walk with a limp;
- Increased sensitivity in the affected joint.
In addition, spots may also appear on the body, similar to psoriasis, eye irritation, constant fever below 38ºC, especially at night, excessive tiredness or lack of appetite.
Some children may not complain of joint pain and, therefore, some signs that may indicate arthritis are limping, sitting very still or having difficulty using their hands to perform delicate movements, such as writing or painting, for example.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis is made by a pediatric rheumatologist through assessment of symptoms and when they started, the child’s health history and physical examination.
Make an appointment with the pediatric rheumatologist in the region closest to you:
In addition, the doctor may order tests, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), antinuclear antibodies, ANA and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP), for example.
Other tests that may be ordered by the doctor are X-ray, ultrasound or MRI, to assess the damage to the affected joint.
Diagnosing juvenile arthritis is not always easy, because there are no specific tests for this disease, but they help the doctor to rule out conditions with similar symptoms, such as reactive arthritis, acute rheumatic fever or Lyme disease, for example.
Possible causes
The exact cause of juvenile idiopathic arthritis is not completely known, but it is known that it occurs due to an interaction between genetic and environmental factors, which result in the production of antibodies by the immune system, which attack the joints, causing damage and inflammation.
Some environmental factors that can trigger juvenile idiopathic arthritis are the use of antibiotics or infections with the Epstein-Barr virus, Parvovirus B19, Chlamydophila pneumoniae and streptococcal infections, for example.
Is juvenile arthritis contagious?
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is not contagious and cannot be transmitted from parents to children.
Types of Juvenile Arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis can be classified into different types, such as:
- Oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritisin which 4 or fewer joints are affected;
- Polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritisin which 5 or more joints are affected within the first 6 months of the disease;
- Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritisalso called Still’s disease, occurs when arthritis is accompanied by fever and other signs and symptoms of impairment of various organs of the body, such as the skin, liver, spleen, lungs or heart;
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis related to enthesitiswhich is inflammation at the points where the tendons are attached to the bones, with or without involvement of the sacroiliac joints or spine;
- Juvenile psoriatic arthritischaracterized by the presence of arthritis with signs of psoriasis;
- Undifferentiated juvenile idiopathic arthritisnot meeting criteria for any category above.
The type of juvenile idiopathic arthritis is identified by the doctor through its characteristics, the number of joints affected and the symptoms it causes in other parts of the body.
How the treatment is carried out
The treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis must be guided by a pediatric rheumatologist, with the aim of relieving symptoms and preventing the progression and complications of the disease.
The main treatments that may be recommended by your doctor are:
1. Use of medicines
Typically, treatment with medication begins with the use of anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, for example, with doses adapted to the child’s weight.
When childhood arthritis affects only one joint, the rheumatologist may also prescribe corticosteroid injections to complement treatment with other medications and alleviate symptoms for a few months.
However, depending on the severity of juvenile arthritis, the doctor may recommend the use of disease-modifying drugs (DMARDs), such as methotrexate, infliximab, adalimumab or etanercept, for example, as they help reduce the activity of arthritis and prevent evolution of the disease.
2. Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is very important for rehabilitation, with exercises recommended by the physiotherapist that help to restore mobility to the joint, so that the child can carry out activities such as walking, writing and eating without difficulty.
Furthermore, it is also important to exercise muscle flexibility and strength. See the main exercises for arthritis.
3. Psychological support
Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis must also receive psychological support and family support, as they may present emotional and social difficulties.
The intellectual development of children with arthritis is normal, therefore, they should normally attend school, which should be aware of the child’s situation to facilitate their adaptation and social integration.
Possible complications
The main complications of juvenile idiopathic arthritis are joint contracture, delay in the child’s physical development or difference in size between the legs.
Furthermore, other complications are low bone density for age, amyloidosis or the need to place a hip prosthesis when it is affected.
