-This study was based on a prospective and a retrospective analysis of 35 patients who met Bohan and Peter criteria for juvenile dermatomyositis diagnosis.The mean follow-up time was three years ten months. Calcinosis was present in five (14.28 %) patients, cutaneous ulcers in four (11.42%), and systemic involvement in nine (27.71%) patients. All patients presented alterations in the serum levels of muscle enzymes, and all of them were submitted to muscle biopsy as a diagnostic procedure. Nine (25.71%) patients received corticotherapy prior to and 26 (74.28%) after the muscle biopsy. Chloroquine, methotrexate, cyclosporine, cyclophosphamide and intravenous immunoglobulin were used in patients with poor response to corticotherapy. Continuation of cutaneous manifestations was observed in 4 (11.43%) patients, laboratorial activity in 1 (2.85%), cutaneous and laboratorial activities in 3 (8.57%). Ten (28.57%) patients were out of activity, and 17 (48.57%) in remission at study end-point, on March 2002. Two (5.71%) patients died.KEY WORDS: juvenile dermatomyositis, clinical findings, muscle biopsy, treatment, evolution, outcome. Dermatomiosite juvenil: parâmetros clínicos, laboratoriais, histológicos, terapêuticos e evolutivos de 35 pacientesRESUMO -Este estudo foi baseado na análise prospectiva e retrospectiva de 35 pacientes que preencheram os critérios diagnósticos de Bohan e Peter de dermatomiosite juvenil. O tempo médio de seguimento foi de 3 anos e 10 meses. Foi observado calcinose em 5 (14,28%) pacientes, úlcera cutânea em 4 (11,42%) e envolvimento sistêmico em 9 (22,71%). Todos os pacientes apresentavam alterações nos níveis séricos das enzimas musculares e todos foram submetidos a biópsia muscular como procedimento diagnóstico. Nove (25,71%) pacientes receberam corticoterapia antes e 26 (74,28%) depois da realização da biópsia muscular. Foram utilizados cloroquina, metotrexato, ciclosporina, ciclofosfamida e imunoglobulina endovenosa em todos os pacientes que não apresentaram boa resposta ao corticóide. Houve manutenção das manifestações cutâneas em 4 (11,43%) pacientes, atividade laboratorial em 1 (2,85%), atividades cutânea e laboratorial em 3 (8,57%). Dez (28,57%) pacientes estavam fora de atividade e 17 (48,57%) em remissão por ocasião do término do estudo em março de 2002. Dois (5,71%) pacientes faleceram.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate pulmonary hypertension (PH) in 852 childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) patients. This was a large multicenter study conducted in 10 Pediatric Rheumatology Services of São Paulo state, Brazil. PH was defined as systolic pulmonary artery pressure >35 mmHg and/or measurement of the mean pulmonary artery pressure >25 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure >15 mmHg by transthoracic echocardiogram. Demographic data, clinical manifestations, disease activity score (SLEDAI-2K), disease damage score (SLICC/ACR-DI) and treatments were also evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using Bonferroni correction (p < 0.002). PH was observed in 17/852 (2%) cSLE patients. Effort dyspnea occurred in 3/17, chest pain in 1/17 and right ventricle dysfunction in 3/17 cSLE patients. None had pulmonary thromboembolism or antiphospholipid syndrome. Further comparison between 17 cSLE with PH and 85 cSLE control patients without PH with similar disease duration [15 (0-151) vs. 15 (0-153) months, p = 0.448], evaluated at the last visit, revealed higher frequencies of fever (47 vs. 9%, p < 0.001), reticuloendothelial manifestations (41 vs. 7%, p < 0.001) and serositis (35 vs. 5%, p = 0.001) in the former group. Frequencies of renal and neuropsychiatric involvements and antiphospholipid syndrome, as well as the median of SLEDAI-2K and SLICC/ACR-DI scores, were comparable in both groups (p > 0.002). Normal transthoracic echocardiography was evidenced in 9/17 (53%), with median cSLE duration of 17.5 months (1-40) after PH standard treatment. PH was a rare manifestation of cSLE occurring in the first two years of disease. The majority of patients were asymptomatic with mild lupus manifestations. The underlying mechanism seemed not to be related to pulmonary thromboembolism and/or antiphospholipid syndrome.

Background Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) is a chronic granulomatous vasculitis affecting the large and medium arteries and can result in end organ damage. The disease is rare and there are few reports about the clinical features in the pediatric population. Objectives To evaluate and to compare the clinical features of TA in Brazilian children and adolescents. Methods In this Brazilian multicenter retrospective study including 10 pediatric rheumatology centers we identified 71 children and adolescents with TA diagnosed before the age of 18 years according to the validated classification criteria for pediatric age1. Patients’ demographic, clinical, laboratory and angiographic data were collected. The angiographic type was classified according to the 1994 International Conference of Takayasu arteritis in Tokyo2. Patients were divided in 2 groups: children, younger than 10 years – group 1, and adolescents, older than or equal to 10 years – group 2 and their disease characteristics at initial presentation were compared. Results Thirty-six (50.7%) patients were in group 1 and 35 (49.3%) were in group 2. Twenty-one (58.3%) patients in group 1 and 30 (85.7%) patients in group 2 were girls (p=0.010). The mean onset age was 5.7 and 12.7 in groups 1 and 2 (p<0.001); the mean time to diagnosis was 1.8 and 0.7 in groups 1 and 2 (p= 0.001) and the mean follow-up time was 7.2 and 3.6 in groups 1 and 2 (p <0.001). The predominant clinical symptoms at onset were decreased pulses (85.9%), followed by arterial hypertension (84.5%), constitutional (77.5%) and neurological symptoms (70.4%), however without statistical differences between the two groups. The main laboratory finding was an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate followed by leukocytosis. Anemia and thrombocytosis were significantly more frequent in group 1 (p = 0.031; p= 0.001). Angiographic data were similar in both groups. Conclusions Children under the age of 10 had more laboratory abnormalities, but similar clinical and angiographic features when compared to adolescents with TA. A delay in diagnosis is more common in younger patients and clinicians must be aware about this disease in this age group. References Ozen S, Pistorio A, Iusan SM, Bakkaloglu A, Herlin T, Brik R et al. EULAR/PRINTO/PRES criteria for Henoch-Schoenlein purpura, childhood polyarteritis nodosa, childhood Wegener granulomatosis and childhood Takayasu’s arteritis: Ankara 2008. Part II: Final classification criteria. Ann Rheum Dis. 2010;69:798-806. Hata A, Noda M, Moriwaki R, Numano F. Angiographic findings of Takayasu arteritis: New classification. Int J Cardiol.1996;54(suppl):S155-S163. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared

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