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Oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis among Saudi children
Mohammed Mustafa Moued, Hussain Mohsin Al-Saggaf, Hamed Said Habib
1Dr. Mohammed A. Muzaffer, MBChB, FRCPC, King Abdulaziz University Hospital,, PO Box 80215, Jeddah 21589,, Saudi Arabia, F: +966-22-640-8350, mmuzaffer@hotmail.com.
Insights
Oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is more common in girls and often affects the knees. Early diagnosis and treatment in Saudi patients led to fewer complications.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Rheumatology
- Immunology
Background:
- Oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease in children.
- Understanding the clinical and serological profile of JIA in specific populations is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the clinical and serological characteristics of Saudi patients diagnosed with oligoarticular JIA.
- To analyze treatment modalities and disease outcomes in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of pediatric patients with oligoarticular JIA at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (1998-2012).
- Data collected included demographics, clinical presentation, laboratory findings (ESR, ANA), radiological investigations, treatments, and complications.
- Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis.
Main Results:
- The study included 37 patients, with a female predominance (64.9%).
- Common presentations included joint pain (83.8%) and swelling (97.3%), frequently affecting the knees.
- Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) were observed in 51.4% and 40.5% of patients, respectively.
- Treatments included naproxen, intra-articular corticosteroids, methotrexate, and adalimumab.
- Documented complications included limited range of motion (40.5%), leg-length discrepancy (24.3%), and anemia (18.9%).
Conclusions:
- Oligoarticular JIA predominantly affects females and the knee joint.
- Many patients presented with elevated ESR and were ANA-positive.
- Prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment strategies were associated with a low incidence of arthritis and extra-articular manifestations in this Saudi cohort.
Background And Objectives:
Oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most frequent chronic inflammatory rheumatic condition in children. We aimed to describe the clinical and serological profile of Saudi patients with oligoarticular JIA.
Design And Settings:
Hospital-based retrospective chart review of all children diagnosed with oligoarticular JIA and followed up at King Abdulaziz University Hospital between 1998 and 2012.
Patients And Methods:
We reviewed the medical files of children with oligoarticular JIA and recorded the gender, age at presentation and diagnosis, clinical presentation, laboratory and radiological investigations, treatment administered, and disease complications. Descriptive statistics was performed using SPSS (version 20, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
Results:
We enrolled 37 patients with JIA, of which 24 (64.9%) were girls. The mean age of the patients at presentation was 6.9 years, while the mean age at diagnosis was 7.2 years. A total of 31 patients (83.8%) presented with joint pain, and 36 (97.3%) had a swelling; 19 patients (51.4%) had a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) at first presentation (mean, 41.8 [25.4] mm/h). ANA was positive in 15 patients (40.5%). The following treatments were administered: naproxen in 37 patients (100%), intra-articular corticosteroids in 12 cases (32.4%), methotrexate in 14 patients (37.8%), and adalimumab in 5 patients (13.5%). During follow-up, the following were documented: limited range of motion (n=15; 40.5%), deformity (n=5.4%), contracture (n=1; 2.7%), leg-length discrepancy (n=9; 24.3%), and anemia (n=7; 18.9%).
Conclusion:
Oligoarticular JIA is more frequent in females, and it shows a predilection for the knees. Initially, many patients presented with high ESRs, and they were antinuclear antibody positive. Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment resulted in a low rate of arthritis and extra-articular manifestations in our cohort.
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