O adulto com artrite idiopática juvenil poliarticular

Abstract

Childhood idiopathic arthritis or juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) encompasses chronic childhood joint diseases characterized by remissions and exacerbations. 1 Many of these patients will have persistent clinical disease after adolescence, requiring transfer to an adult rheumatologic clinic. 2 There are several subtypes of JIA, and this variability is reflected in their clinical, laboratory, and immunogenetic manifestations. 1 Polyarticular JIA (seropositive or seronegative) is the form that most closely resembles adult rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 1 In this form, girls are affected more often, showing involvement of the small joints of the hands and feet, which can lead to swan-neck and boutonnière deformities. 1 When seen in an adult rheumatology clinic, these patients are easily mistaken by patients with RA. In the present study, anthropometric, clinical, serologic, and functional aspects of adults with polyarticular JIA and RA are compared to determine the similarities and differences between these entities. After approval by the Ethics on Research Committee, and after all subjects gave their written informed consent, 20 patients with polyarticular JIA and 50 with RA, paired by gender and duration of the disease, were evaluated. This