The pattern of juvenile idiopathic arthritis; a retrospective Egyptian study

Abstract

Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common autoimmune musculoskeletal disease in children. The spectrum of patients’ profile of JIA showed many similarities and differences among different populations. Therefore, our study aimed to analyze the clinical data, laboratory data, treatment protocols and patient’s outcomes of JIA among Egyptian population.

Methods: We checked and analyzed medical files of children with JIA followed up at pediatric rheumatology clinic between 2004-2010 at Alexandria Main Children Hospital.

Results: Our study included data about 63 Egyptian JIA patients (33 males and 30 females), with a mean age of 7.3±3.1 years (range 3-16 years). We found that oligoarticular subtype was the predominant (41.2%) among cases followed by polyarticular (35%) then systemic onset type in (23.8%). Most of the patients lived in rural areas (57.1%). Clinically, knee joints (74.6%) were the most affected joints while pallor (42.9%) was main extra-articular manifestations (42.2%) among all subtypes. Uveitis (6.3%) manifested among oligoarticular and polyarticular subtypes only. Rheumatoid factor and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) were positive among 69.8% and 20.6% of the studied cases respectively. Remission rate was 47.6% and occurred mostly in oligoarticular subtype. Also, the regimen of combination of two drugs showed the highest remission rate (39.8%).

Conclusion: The pattern of JIA among Egyptian children showed predominance of oligoarticular subtype specially at rural areas which differed from Western and Gulf  countries pattern.

Keywords: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, oligoarticular, Rheumatoid factor, morning stiffness