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Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: juvenile arthritis + juvenile arthritis: + arthritis  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

Juvenile arthritis needs early detection Indianapolis Star, United States - Answer: We've changed the name to juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Because it lasts for such a long time, the prevalence is one in 1000. ... Drug May Ease Symptoms of Juvenile Arthritis Washington Post, United States - Jul 15, 2008 TUESDAY, July 15 (HealthDay News) -- Children suffering from juvenile arthritis who haven't had luck with other treatments may benefit from a drug called ... Bristol's Orencia can ease juvenile arthritis: study Reuters - Jul 14, 2008 "Abatacept treatment induced improvement and was well tolerated in patients with active juvenile idiopathic arthritis, who responded to this treatment in ... WALKING 100 KILOMETRES FOR JUVENILE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS Welland Tribune,  Canada - Jul 31, 2008 She suffers from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, a childhood-version of the joint-swelling disease, but no less severe. After watching Jessi-Lyn struggle ... Kids to miss out on fun day out at movies Dubbo Daily Liberal, Australia - Aug 3, 2008 Apart from providing a fun day out, Kidsflix expands Arthritis NSW?s community and support services, juvenile arthritis awareness and contributes to ... ChattahBox FDA Advisory Committee Recommends Approval of ACTEMRA(R ... MarketWatch - Jul 29, 2008 ... in April 2008, additional indications for rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis were also ... 2nd UPDATE: FDA Panel Backs Roche Athritis Drug Actemra CNNMoney.com FDA Advisory Committee Recommends Approval Of Actemra For The ... Medical News Today (press release) FDA advisory committee recommends approval of IL-6 inhibitor for RA Ortho SuperSite all 147 news articles »  OTC:RHHBY - SWF:RO - SWF:HUE Lower arthritis risks with simple changes Arizona Republic, AZ - Jul 28, 2008 Juvenile arthritis, the most common form of arthritis in children. ? Tendinitis, inflammation of the tendon. It is usually the result of overuse and ... Arthritis: sorting fact from fiction The Canberra Times, Australia - Jul 26, 2008 She says children as young as three months can be afflicted with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis a severe and debilitating form of the disease. ... Drug and Therapeutics Update OnMedica, UK - Aug 3, 2008 Orthotics relieved pain in adults with rheumatoid arthritis and children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. However, more research is needed to find out ... Juvenile arthritis linked with gene area United Press International - Jul 7, 2008 The scientists reported on the link between the gene region and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, formerly called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. ...

Juvenile Arthritis

Juvenile arthritis is the chronic inflammation of one or more joints that develops in a person younger than 16. About 285,000 children in the United States have juvenile arthritis.

Children with juvenile arthritis may be frequently absent from school, less able to participate in activities or have more limited career options. The child's parents and siblings may also be affected by the psychological and financial stress of chronic illness in a family member.

The disease can follow these patterns:

• Systemic onset, which starts with very high fevers, frequently a skin rash and shows inflammation in many internal organs and the joints. About 10% of children with arthritis have this type.
• Pauciarticular onset, which affects fewer than five joints. About 50% of all children with arthritis have this type. Some are young (infants to age 5) and have a risk of developing inflammatory eye problems, making regular eye exams essential. Others are older and may evolve into one of the adult forms of arthritis.
• Polyarticular disease, which affects five or more joints, and can begin at any age. Some of these children have adult type rheumatoid arthritis that begins at an earlier age than usual.

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The different patterns of juvenile arthritis may require different treatment approaches and have different outcomes. Regardless of what pattern of juvenile arthritis develops, an affected person will have painful, inflamed joints. This may result in stiffness (particularly in the morning), limping and reluctance to engage in certain activities.

The cause of juvenile arthritis is not known. There are some indications that certain types of childhood arthritis or children who develop particular complications from the condition have genetic origins. Although some genetic markers may be associated with an increased chance of developing arthritis, these conditions are not regarded as hereditary and rarely affect more than one family member. Some evidence suggests that there could be infectious triggers in a genetically predisposed child.

Juvenile arthritis may be difficult to diagnose because often children compensate well for loss of function and may not complain of pain. Observations of limping, stiffness when awakening, reluctance to use a limb or reduced activity level may be clues.

Tests commonly positive in adult arthritis (rheumatoid factor in the blood or changes on X-rays) are usually negative in childhood types. A number of other conditions can mimic juvenile arthritis, such as infections, childhood malignancies, conditions of the muscles and bones or other less common rheumatic disease. Further evaluation to exclude these may be needed before a diagnosis is confirmed.

The choices of drugs for children are similar to those for adult arthritis and include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, and slower acting agents, such as methotrexate, sulfasalazine and hydroxychloroquine, for more severe cases. The doses must be adjusted for the size of the child. Preference may be given to liquid preparations or less frequently dosed medications to help with compliance.
• Steroids (such as cortisone), which must be used with caution because they can affect the child's growth or cause other side effects. Some drugs for adults are not FDA-approved for use in children.
• Physical and occupational therapy can prevent disability
• Splints, a regular home exercise program or outpatient treatment are often effective

Children should participate in regular school activities, extracurricular activities and family responsibilities as much as possible.