[Treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (author's transl)]

A revision of the treatment of the juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) is made, Salicylates, still in use, require control of the salicylate level in order to obtain a higher efficiency and to prevent toxicity. New drugs appeared in the last years (by-products of propionic acid, tolmetin acid, fenclofenic...), are useful as an alternative for salicylates and with very little toxicity. Steroid therapy has to be reserved for serious systemic illness only, and slow acting drugs as antimalarials, gold and pencillamine, were only used in those cases with severe persistant activity and in cases of corticosteroid dependents. Use of the immunosuppressive therapy, is justified only in exceptional cases. Immunostimulants (transfer factor, Levamisol) are still in experimental phase. Presentation of the last five years' experience of the Pediatric Department is given. It concerns 25 cases of JCA, 5 systemic forms, 9 polyarticular and 11 forms of pauci-articular. Therapy is based on the predominant use of aspirin and on steroid therapy for the system forms. The efficiency of the treatment is not easy to evaluate regarding consideration of the unpredictable evaluation of the illness.