Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) refers to a group of inflammatory arthritides of unknown cause that begin before 16 years of age and persists for at least 6 weeks.
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) refers to a group of inflammatory arthritides of unknown cause that begin before 16 years of age and persists for at least 6 weeks. It is the most common chronic paediatric rheumatological condition affecting approximately 1 in 1000 children and young people less than 16 years of age with an overall female predominance.
It is important that other causes of arthritis, including infection and malignancy, are excluded before the diagnosis is made. The key features of JIA include joint pain, stiffness, swelling and loss of movement or reduced function. Chronic anterior uveitis is strongly associated with JIA and can occur in up to 30% depending on the subtype of JIA. It can be asymptomatic and potentially lead to irreversible sight loss including blindness. All children with a diagnosis of JIA should be referred to ophthalmology for uveitis screening (within 6 weeks of referral) with subsequent regular uveitis monitoring by slit lamp examination. Duration of uveitis monitoring will depend on the age of the child at diagnosis and subtype of JIA, however is typically up until the age of 11-12 years (RCO/BSPAR Guidelines).
For verified healthcare professionals
Log in or register for free to read this article. HPN is for healthcare professionals, so new accounts are verified by our team.
