Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

1. INTRODUCTION
•Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) a.k.a
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), Juvenile
Chronic Arthritis (JCA).
•A type of arthritis that causes joint
inflammation and stiffness for more than six
weeks in a child aged 16 or younger.

2. Types
•There are 3 main types of JRA:
1.Pauciarticular JRA (common)
= affects 4 or fewer joints
= a.k.a Oligoarticular JIA
2.Polyarticular JRA
= affects 5 or more joints
3.Systemic JRA (rare)
= the symptoms are not usually related to
joints; high fever, loss of appetite, weight loss,
swollen lymph node, liver and spleen and serious
anemia.

3. Etiology/Causes
•Exact causes of JRA – UNKNOWN
•Autoimmune disease – the immune system
that usually protect our body mistakenly
attack our body’s tissues.
•JRA – the immune system mistake one of the
linings in the joint; the synovium, as a foreign
invader and attempts to remove it by
attacking it cells with biological chemicals that
cause inflammations.

4. Risk Factors
•There are no clear risk factors for JRA.
•Factors that may be associated with some types
of JRA include:
–Girls are more likely to get JRA than boys
–Family history of:
•Anterior uveitis with eye pain
•Inflammatory back arthritis (ankylosing spondylitis)
•Inflammatory bowel disease
–Arthritis and a family history of psoriasis in a first-
degree relative (for psoriatic arthritis)

5. Sign & Symptoms
More marked in the morning; just after they
wake up.
May include:
Swollen, red, or warm joint – lasts for 6 weeks
Limping or problems using a limb
Sudden high fever
Rash (on trunk and extremities) that comes and goes
with fever
Stiffness, pain, and limited movement in a joint
Bodywide symptoms such as pale skin, swollen
lymph gland, and “sick” appearance.

6. JRA can also cause eye problems called uveitis
(inflammation on any part of the uvea of the
eye); iridocyclitis (inflammation of the iris and
ciliary body), or iritis (inflammation of the iris).
 There may be no symptoms. When eye
symptoms occur they can include:
Red eyes
Eye pain, which may get worse when looking at
light (photophobia).
Vision changes

7. Diagnosis
•Family history
•X-rays
•Laboratory tests on blood, urine, and/or joint
fluid:
–May be used to eliminate other health conditions
such as physical injury, infections, other
autoimmune diseases, and some forms of cancer
–Can also help to determine specific type of JRA
•Eye examinations—to look for swelling in the
eye

8. References
•Starkebaurn, G. A. (April 2013). Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Retrieved
on 16 April 2014 from:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000451.htm.
•MedlinePlus (January 2014). Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Retrieved
on 16 April 2014 from:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/juvenilerheumatoidarthritis.html.
•Lim, W. Y. (February 2010). Young, Painful Joints. Retrieved on 16 April
2014 from: http://www.thestar.com.my/story.aspx/?file=
%2f2010%2f2%2f7%2fhealth%2f5531288&sec=health.
•Peacock, Judith. (2000). Juvenile Arthritis. Mankato, MN: LifeMatters
Books.
•Rudis, Jacquelyn. (2013). Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis: Diagnosis.
Retrieved on 16 April 2014 from:
http://pediatrics.med.nyu.edu/conditions-we-treat/conditions/juvenile-
rheumatoid-arthritis