Joint inflammations not only occur in elderly people but can also affect children. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the technical term for the most common rheumatic disease in children up to 16 years. The word juvenile refers to the early age at onset, idiopathic states the unknown cause of the disease, and arthritis can be translated as joint inflammation. Other terms used for juvenile idiopathic arthritis are juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) or juvenile rheumatoid arthritic (JRA). The disease is classified into several subtypes depending on characteristic symptoms. There is the oligoarticular or pauciarticular (few joints) form, the polyarticular (many joints) and the systemic (affecting the whole body) onset. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis can also be associated with psoriasis or be enthesitis-related (an inflammation of the entheses).

About one child in 1000 suffers from this disorder. Children of any age can develop juvenile idiopathic arthritis with major peak onsets at the age of one to two years and later between nine and 15 years.

The disease shows many faces and next to joint pain and swelling quite unspecific symptoms such as reduced physical activity, fatigue, morning stiffness, persistent and intermittent fever, and rashes may be present. Therefore, the correct diagnosis might be difficult. Parents should also consider seeing a pediatric rheumatologist who is specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of children with arthritis. For diagnosis the doctor will perform physical examination including blood samples to do several laboratory tests and will ask some questions to your family history.

[How is arthritis treated]