Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Mast Common Rheumatic Disorder in Children- An Overview

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is the most common form of chronic arthritis in children and an important cause of both the short term and long term morbidities. JIA is the new terminology proposed by the International League of Associations of Rheumatologists (ILAR). Three separate systems are used currently to classify chronic arthritis in children. These are American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification, The European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) classification and ILAR classification. The diagnosis of JIA remains a clinical one, and is essentially one of exclusion in addition to suspicion and recognition of patterns. There is no single test for the diagnosis of JIA. The treatment of JIA is rapidly changing. Aims of good management of JIA include: controlling pain and inflammation, preserving function and promoting normal growth and development. Remarkable advances have been made in the management of JIA with the advent of new modalities of treatment. Effective management of JIA needs a multidisciplinary team approach. Even after effective management, about one-third of JIA patients continue to manifest their disease activity into adulthood with serious morbidity and disabilities.