Clinical Characteristics of 228 Cases with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Objective To investigate the characteristics of clinical manifestation,classification and therapy of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).Methods Two hundred and twenty-eight children with JIA were collected from Jan.1994 to Dec.2005 in our hospital and its subgroups were defined by the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) classification criteria.A clinical retrospective analysis was carried out.The various subtypes of JIA and their clinical features were described by reviewing their differential diagnosis, complications and outcomes.Results The cases included 151 male and 77 female.Ninety-three cases with systemic JIA, 50 cases with oligoarticular JIA, 51 cases with polyarticular JIA, 34 cases with enthesitis related JIA (ERA).The JIA children had atypical manifestations.Fever, arthritis, rash, fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms could usually be seen while 99 cases were complicated with anemia and 70 cases were complicated with heart damage with manifestations of arrhythmia, pathological changes of heart structure or heart valves.There was obvious disorder in the humoral and cellular immunity in JIA children.Conclusions The diagnosis and treatment of JIA could be early decided if the doctors have mastered the manifestation and auxiliary examination.Proper treatment should be given according to the types of JIA to better the outcomes of JIA children and the quality of their lives and study.