Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is arthritis that causes
joint inflammation and stiffness for more than 6 weeks in a child of 16 years of
age or less. Inflammation causes redness, swelling, warmth, and soreness in the
joints, although many children with JRA do not complain of joint pain. Any joint
can be affected and inflammation may limit the mobility of affected joints. One
type of JRA can also affect the internal organs. Doctors classify juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis into three types by the number of joints involved, the
symptoms, and the presence or absence of certain antibodies found by a blood
test. (Antibodies are special proteins made by the immune system.) These
classifications help the doctor determine how the disease will progress and
whether the internal organs or skin is affected.
- Pauciarticular: Pauciarticular means that four or fewer joints are
affected. Pauciarticular is the most common form of JRA; about half of all
children with JRA have this type. Pauciarticular disease typically affects
large joints, such as the knees. Girls under age 8 are most likely to
develop this type of JRA.
- Polyarticular--About 30 percent of all children with JRA have
polyarticular disease. In polyarticular disease, five or more joints are
affected. The small joints, such as those in the hands and feet, are most
commonly involved, but the disease may also affect large joints.
Polyarticular JRA often is symmetrical; that is, it affects the same joint
on both sides of the body.
- Systemic--Besides joint swelling, the systemic form of JRA is
characterized by fever and a light skin rash, and may also affect internal
organs such as the heart, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. Doctors sometimes
call it Still's disease.
Symptoms of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
The most common symptom of all types of juvenile rheumatoid
arthritis is persistent joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that typically is
worse in the morning or after a nap. The pain may limit movement of the affected
joint although many children, especially younger ones, will not complain of
pain. JRA commonly affects the knees and joints in the hands and feet. One of
the earliest signs of JRA may be limping in the morning because of an affected
knee. Besides joint symptoms, children with systemic JRA have a high fever and a
light skin rash. The rash and fever may appear and disappear very quickly.
Systemic JRA also may cause the lymph nodes located in the neck and other parts
of the body to swell. In some cases (less than half), internal organs including
the heart and, very rarely, the lungs may be involved.
Eye inflammation is a potentially severe complication that
sometimes occurs in children with pauciarticular JRA. Eye diseases such as
iritis and uveitis often are not present until some time after a child first
develops JRA.
Typically, there are periods when the symptoms of juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis are better or disappear (remissions) and times when
symptoms are worse (flare-ups). JRA is different in each child, some may have
just one or two flare-ups and never have symptoms again, while others experience
many flare-ups or even have symptoms that never go away.
Some children with JRA may have growth problems. Depending on
the severity of the disease and the joints involved, growth in affected joints
may be too fast or too slow, causing one leg or arm to be longer than the other.
Overall growth may also be slowed. JRA also may cause joints to grow
unevenly or to one side.
If your child shows signs of joint swelling, stiffness or pain
or just limps for no obvious reason or has a fever of 102 F that persists
for longer than 2 or 3 days, take your child to your family doctor. A
fever that signals JRA may come and go one or two times during a day and last a
few hours each time.
Juvenile Rheumatoid
Arthritis Symptoms to J
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