Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in children

Recently a friend of mine was doing a report focusing on homeless children. I also learned about it. My friend said that some of them are orphans, some are children who cannot find their homes, and some are children who have been abandoned due to serious illnesses. After reading these, I felt that they are really pitiful. They lost their parents at such a young age. There are also many children with disabilities. Some of them have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. I never knew that children could also get this rheumatoid disease. It is really scary. What are the symptoms? The following is an introduction.

1. Systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis Systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (Sys-JRA) About 20% of JRA patients show this type. There are prominent extra-articular symptoms and arthritis symptoms, and systemic symptoms include remittent warmth, rash, splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, pericarditis, pleurisy, abdominal pain, leukocytosis, and anemia. Disseminated intravascular coagulation occasionally occurs.

2. Rheumatoid factor-negative polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In 20% to 30% of JRA patients, multiple joints are affected within a few months of onset without obvious systemic manifestations. And RF test was negative. There are at least 4 affected joints, and almost all joints except the spinal joints may be affected. Even the small joints of the hands and feet, the cervical vertebrae, and the hip joints are not uncommon. Joint symptoms are often manifested as swelling, pain, warmth, tenderness, and movement disorders. When the finger and toe joints are affected, there is typical fusiform swelling; when the temporomandibular joints are involved, there is difficulty in opening the mouth. Young children may complain of ear pain. If the disease lasts for a long time, it may affect local development and cause micrognathia. Involvement of the laryngeal arytenoids (cricoid cartilage-arytenoid cartilage) may cause hoarseness, laryngeal wheezing and difficulty eating. Some children have particularly obvious joint movement disorders in the morning, which is called morning stiffness. The affected joints are usually not red. There may be a large amount of exudate in the joint cavity. Obvious periosteal inflammation makes joint symptoms very prominent.

3. Seropositive polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is a type of seropositive polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis characterized by polyarthritis (>4 joints) with positive rheumatoid factor (RF). They account for 5% to 10% of JRA, most of them are over 8 years old and most of them are women. Subcutaneous rheumatoid nodules are easily found in this type, which are the same as those seen in rheumatoid arthritis in adults. A few people also develop rheumatoid vasculitis. The HLA type of children with this type of disease is largely consistent with that of adults with rheumatoid arthritis, such as the high HLA-DR4 positivity rate. There are occasional reports of patients with this type having concurrent Sjögren's syndrome and Fetly syndrome. Systemic symptoms may include low fever. Malaise, weight loss. Growth delay, etc.

4. Pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis About 50% of patients with pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are limited to one or a few (≤4) joints affected within the first 6 months of the disease or even throughout the entire course of the disease, and lesions usually occur in large joints. Asymmetrical distribution. JRA involving fewer than four joints is defined as oligoarticular.

After seeing these symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in children, I feel that it is really painful for children to have this disease. Not only will they have many symptoms but it will also have a lot of impact on their future lives. I sincerely hope that these children can recover soon.