Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a form of arthritis that affects children below the age of 17. It is known to cause an inflammation and tenderness of the muscles, tendons, bones, joints and nerves. Around 285,000 adolescents in USA suffer from some type of arthritis. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is the most widespread type of arthritis that affects children and is usually detected between the ages of 2 and 16.Symptoms of this disease may appear and reappear periodically. JRA typically affects the joints and the tissues surrounding it. However, it can also affect other organs of the body like the heart, eyes, liver and lungs. In some cases, this form of juvenile arthritis is known to cause severe joint-damage and stunted growth.
The exact causes of Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are known as of now, but a lot of research is being expended on it. JRA is characterized by abnormalities of the immune system. When the immune system doesn’t function properly, the distinction between the germs and the body’s own tissues becomes difficult. This results in the immune system mounting an attack and releasing chemicals that actually harm the healthy tissues of the body. However, JRA is not known to be contagious.
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is of three types. The first one is the Pauciarticular JRA. This type of JRA involves four or even less number of joints and usually affects the larger joints like the knee. Around 50% of the child patients suffering from JRA have this type of arthritis. It is generally seems to develop between infancy and age 5. Occasionally, iridocyclitis, which is a condition leading to an inflammation in front of the eye near the iris may be observed in patients suffering from this type of JRA.
The second type of JRA is the Polyarticular JRA, which affects five or more joints, generally the small ones of the hand. It also can affect other vital joints like the ankles, knees, hips, feet, and neck. Polyarticular JRA is unique in the sense that it affects the same joint on each side of the body causing a sort of swelling. The typical symptoms are a dull fever, fatigue, poor appetite, and rheumatoid nodules (bumps) on the affected joints. This form of JRA can cause permanent damage to the joints and thus, requires treatment with strong medications.
The third type is the Systemic JRA that is capable of affecting several parts of the body, including the joints and internal organs. Being the least common form of JRA, the initial signals of systemic JRA are rashes accompanied by high fever and chills. The patient will complain of fever at typical time periods like the afternoon. The rest of the day, the patient may not feel feverish at all. About 50% of children with systemic JRA improve completely, whereas the other half experience joint symptoms problems like pain and soreness that may continue for many years.
