A clinical perspective on imaging in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Abstract

In recent years, imaging has become increasingly important to confirm diagnosis, monitor disease activity, and predict disease course and outcome in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Over the past few decades, great efforts have been made to improve the quality of diagnostic imaging and to reach a consensus on which methods and scoring systems to use. However, there are still some critical issues, and the diagnosis, course, and management of JIA are closely related to clinical assessment. This review discusses the main indications for conventional radiography (XR), musculoskeletal ultrasound (US), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), while trying to maintain a clinical perspective. The diagnostic-therapeutic timing at which one or the other method should be used, depending on the disease/patient phenotype, will be assessed, considering the main advantages and disadvantages of each imaging modality according to the currently available literature. Some brief clinical case scenarios on the most frequently and severely involved joints in JIA are also presented. Graphical abstract

Ultrasound‐guided determination demonstrates influence of age, sex and type of sport on medial femoral condyle cartilage thickness in children and adolescents

“…In children and adolescents with rheumatic disease, MSUS is applied successful in diagnosis and disease monitoring. It is especially promising in the assessment of JIA, as a reliable method to precisely document and monitor the synovial inflammation process [2,24,25,44].…”

ESPR 2023—Building new bridges from Belgrade

“…You will refresh and renew your knowledge about juvenile idiopathic arthritis both from radiological [1] and clinical perspectives [2], but also find different insights into very common topics, such as gastro-esophageal reflux and constipation [3]. Important diagnostic hints in imaging of unusual (viral, bacterial, and parasitic) lung infections and their clinical and imaging mimics is presented [4].…”