Skip to main content
Log in

Five year follow-up of a prospective cohort of juvenile chronic arthritis with recent onset

  • Sero-Negative Arthritis
  • Published:
Clinical Rheumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

One hundred and fifty children with suspected juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) and a disease duration of 3–6 months entered a prospective study. Diagnosis of JCA could be verified in 107 patients according to the WHO-EULAR criteria. After 5.0±0.9 years 66 of the 107 patients showed no disease activity, 24 of them for more than 2 years, 23 for less than 2 years without any drug therapy. Nineteen patients were still on NSAIDs and/or long acting drugs, 14 patients with unfavourable morphologic outcome (>stage II) and 17 patients with severe functional impairment (≥stage III) all belonged to the 41 children with still active disease after 5 years follow-up. The disease course was polyarticular in 10 of the 14 patients with severe radiologic changes and in 14 of the 17 with unfavourable functional results. The wrist joint proved especially vulnerable since 46% of the severe radiologic changes concerned this joint. All 4 children with positive rheumatoid factor followed a polyarticular course with severe radiologic changes (stage>II), 3 of them together with unfavourable functional outcome. Risk factors for morphologically and functionally unfavourable course are therefore seen in a still active disease after 5 years, a polyarticular joint involvement and a positive rheumatoid factor. Extra-articular complications concerned chronic iridocyclitis in 7 patients, acute iridocyclitis in 2, amyloidosis in 1 and growth retardation in 2 children. — The prospective study is to be continued.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ansell, B.M. Juvenile chronic polyarthritis: series 3. Arthritis Rheum 1977, 20, 176–178 (suppl.).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Stoeber, E., Kölle, G. Juvenile chronische Arthritis. In: Handbuch der Inneren Medizin, Bd. VI/2B: Rheumatologie B. Editor: Mathies, H., Berlin, Springer, 1984, 283, 213–214.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Wood, P. F.: Special Meeting on: Nomenclature and classification of arthritis in children. In: The care of rheumatic children. Editor: Munthe, E., Eular monograph series no. 3, Basle, Eular publishers, 1978, 47–50.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Schuchmann, L., Albert, E.D., Michels, H., Renz, K., Differenzierung der juvenilen chronsichen Arthritis (JCA) — diagnostische Bedeutung der HLA-Assoziationen. Klin Päd 1984, 196, 355–359.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Steinbrocker, O., Traeger, C.H., Batterman, R., Therapeutic criteria in rheumatoid arthritis. JAMA 1949, 140, 659–662.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kölle, G. Die juvenile rheumatische Arthritis (juvenile chronische Polyarthritis) und das Still-Syndrom. Rheumaform 4, Karlsruhe, Braun-Verlag, 1975, 16–18, 40–57.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Stoeber, E., Juvenile chronic polyarthritis and Still's syndrome. Documenta Geigy. Folia rheumtologica. Basle, Ciba-Geigy, 1977, 4–5.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Hanson, V., Kornreich, H., Bernstein, B., King, K.K., Singsen, B., Prognosis of juvenjile rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1977, 20, 279–284 (suppl.).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Ansell, B.M.: Diagnostic criteria, nomenclature, classification. In: The care of rheumatic children. Editor: Munthe, E., Eular monograph series no. 3, Basle, Eular publishers, 1978, 42–46.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Stillman, S., Barry, P.E., Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: series 2. Arthritis Rheum 1977, 20, 171–175 (suppl.).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Calabro, J.J., Londino, A.V., Marchesano, J.M., Bloomfield, N.J., Parrino G.R.: Prognosis in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA): A 25-year follow-up XVIth Int. Congress of Rheumatology, Sydney, Australia, 19th–25th May 1985, Abstr. F 112.

  12. Calabro, J.J., Holgerson, W.B., Sonpal, G. M., Khoury, M.I.: Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: A genera! review and report of 100 patients observed for 15 years. Semion Arthritis Rheum 1976, 5, 257–298.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Ansell, B.M., Bywaters, E.G.L.: Prognosis in Still's disease. Bull Rheum Dis 1959, 9, 189–192.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Cassidy, J.T., Levinson, J.E., Bass, J.C., Baum, J., Brewer, E.J., Fink, C.W., Hanson, V., Jacobs, J.C., Masi, A.T., Schaller, J.G., Fries, J.F., McShane, D., Young, D.: A study of classification criteria for a diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1986, 29, 274–281.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Schuchmann, L., Michels, H., Morhart, R., Renz, K., Prospektive Beobachtungsstudie zum klinischen Verlauf der juvenilen chronsichen Arthritis (JCA). Monatsschr. Kinderheilk. 1986, 134, 164–167.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ansell, B.M., Chronic arthritis in childhood. Heberden oration 1977. Ann Rheum Dis 1978, 107–120.

  17. Stoeber, E., Prognosis in juvenile chronic arthritis. Follop-up of 433 chronic rheumatic children. Eur J Pediatr 1981, 135, 225–228.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Michels, H., Häfner, R., Morhart, R. et al. Five year follow-up of a prospective cohort of juvenile chronic arthritis with recent onset. Clin Rheumatol 6 (Suppl 2), 87–92 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02203390

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02203390

Key Words

Navigation