Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in Caribbean children: a clinical characterization

The knowledge about rheumatic diseases in Latin American children is scanty. The features of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (J.R.A.) in the islands of the Caribbean had not been described. In this retrospective study, fifty cases of J.R.A. in a pediatric population of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands followed at a formal pediatric rheumatology service in San Juan, Puerto Rico, were demographically and clinically characterized. There was a female predominance of 1.4:1. The peak of occurrence was at 1-2 years of age. Pauciarticular onset was the most common through all ages. Antinuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factor were positive in 40% and 10% respectively. Although a larger and prospective study is necessary to determine if these clinical trends will prevail, the present findings suggest that the characteristics of J.R.A. among children in the Caribbean are similar to other previously published series in U.S.A. and Europe.