Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis or JRA, is characterized by inflammation of the joints, found in juveniles. It is caused by an auto-immune disease, which is a condition where the body's white blood cells cannot distinguish between healthy and harmful cells. Instead of protecting the body, the white blood cells release chemicals that damage the healthy cells and tissues.
What are the Symptoms of JRA?
There are three major types of JRA: Polyarticular Arthritis, Pauciarticular JRA, and Systemic JRA.
Polyarticular Arthritis is prevalent more in girls than boys. It involves symptoms swelling and pain in five or more joint areas. This discomfort can be found in the joints of the hands, knees, hips, ankles, feet and neck. A low-grade fever may go along with it, as well as bumps on the body formed from extensive sitting or leaning in one spot.
Pauciarticular Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis involves swelling and pain in four or less joints. Stiffness, pain, swelling are all present, mostly in the knee and wrist joints. Inflammation of the iris (the colored area of the eye) is also a particularly odd side symptom of this type of arthritis.
Systemic Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis is found in the entire body. Symptoms are, a high fever that spikes at night, rash, pale skin, enlargement of the spleen and lymph nodes, and swelling, pain and stiffness of all joints.
How is JRA Diagnosed and Treated?
If your doctor suspects that JRA is present within your child, he will probably run numerous tests. A complete blood count(CBC) will be administered as well as blood cultures, a bone marrow examination, x-ray's, bone scans, and other tests, primarily looking for how high the rheumatoid factor is(an antibody found in the body, and sometimes higher in people with arthritis), and if the Antinuclear factor is present(test searching for auto-immunity levels).
Occasionally, your child's physician may perform an examination of the patient's joints and take samples of joint fluid or synovium, (which is the lining of the joints) for testing.
To treat JRA, sometimes your child's doctor may prescribe one course of action or a combination of many. Treatment will most likely involve medication to diminish pain and/or swelling of the joints, physical therapy to get the child's body back up to speed, and exercise. If medication is found to be necessary, then the patient will be have to be watched closely, and the dosage monitored, since there are many unsavory side effects that can crop up in usage.
