Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis--or JRA--causes chronic joint inflammation and pain in children. If you suspect that your child has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, visit your doctor, who will use several methods to make the diagnosis, such as a physical exam and certain tests. Accurately reporting your child's symptoms can play a crucial role in the diagnosis.
Types
There are three main types of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: pauciarticular, systemic and polyarticular. The most-common and least serious type of JRA is pauciarticular, which usually affects only one to four joints, such as the ankles, fingers, wrists, hips or knees, says the University of Michigan Health System. Polyarticular JRA can affect a greater number of joints, including the spine, and may develop into adult rheumatoid arthritis, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. The most serious but rarest type of JRA is systemic, which can spread to the organs and cause more severe joint pain and swelling, rashes, and fever.
Risk Factors
Children who suffer from JRA may have an overactive immune system, an infection or a genetic predisposition to disorders affecting the joints, notes the University of Michigan Health System. Commonly occurring in children younger than 16 years old, JRA appears to affect more girls than boys and more white children than other ethnicities, MayoClinic.com says. Children who have certain gene mutations may become more susceptible to contracting viruses or other infections that can cause JRA.
Diagnosis
Your child's doctor will evaluate the child's symptoms and family medical history to diagnose JRA, says the University of Michigan Health System. A physical exam and certain tests can also contribute to a JRA diagnosis. Your child's physician may need to perform tests like X-rays, as well as joint-fluid extraction and testing to diagnose JRA, MayoClinic.com notes. Certain blood tests like rheumatoid factor, anti-nuclear antibody and erythrocyte sedimentation-rate testing can also indicate JRA. During a physical exam, the physician will also look for swelling of the lymph nodes and enlargement of the spleen or liver, states the University of Maryland Medical Center. In many cases, JRA is somewhat difficult to diagnose because the condition's signs and symptoms are easily confused with rheumatic fever, sarcoidosis, psoriatic arthritis, osteomyelitis, Lyme disease and other conditions.
Complications
One of the most common complications of JRA is uveitis, a condition involving eye inflammation that causes redness, pain and vision impairment in the eyes, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. Uveitis can cause glaucoma, cataracts or blindness, but it's somewhat easily diagnosed with an eye exam by an ophthalmologist, MayoClinic.com notes. JRA and the corticosteroids often used to treat the condition can also cause growth problems in your child by impairing bone development.
Treatments
Depending on the severity and type of JRA your child has, she may require different medications and therapies. Typical drug treatments include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and methotrexate and other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. Tumor necrosis factor blockers are another category of drugs used to treat JRA, MayoClinic.com notes. JRA treatments may also include regular exercise and physical therapy. In rare cases, JRA may require joint surgery or replacement.
