Juvenile Chronic Arthritis: spectrum of disease in an adult rheumatology department

Summary

Although juvenile chronic arthritis is one of the more common chronic diseases of childhood and a leading cause of disability, a review of the Irish experience with this disease has not previously been reported. In this study, 57 patients presenting over a 5 year period to an adult rheumatology department with juvenile chronic arthritis are reviewed. The mean disease duration at presentation was 6 years and 17 patients were > 16 years old. Patients were classified according to disease onset as having systemic (12), pauciarticular (28) or polyarticular (17) onset disease. 77% of patients had clinical and/or laboratory evidence of disease activity at presentation. Although only 26% had continuing disease activity at follow-up (mean 2 years), 55% of patients had radiological evidence of joint damage and 23% were functionally impaired. This study emphasizes the chronic and potentially disabling nature of this condition in some children and supports the need for a multidisciplinary team approach in the management of juvenile chronic arthritis.