HLA B27 associated chronic arthritis in children: review of 65 cases

The study of sixty-five children with antigen HLA B27 associated chronic rheumatism was performed. There was a male preponderance, and mean age at onset was ten. A family history was available in half patients. After a 5-year follow up study, 32% of the patients were diagnosed as having ankylosing spondylitis or Reiter's syndrome or psoriatic arthritis or arthritis associated to inflammatory bowel disease. The other patients should be considered as having an HLA B27 associated juvenile chronic arthritis with special features such as enthesopathy, acute joint pain or sausage-like digits. Three patients had a very severe outcome with considerable joint lesion seen on X Ray.