Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

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Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), sometimes called juvenile chronic arthritis or juvenile idiopathic arthritis, is a childhood disease that causes inflamed, swollen joints that are often stiff and painful. Symptoms common to all forms of JRA include joint pain, a disturbance in the way a child walks (abnormal gait), and joint stiffness that lasts longer than 1 hour in the morning.

The cause of JRA is not well-understood. Most experts believe it is caused by a combination of factors, including an overly active immune system.

There are three types of JRA. Each type is based on the number of joints affected during the first 6 months of active disease, whether the child has other symptoms, and which parts of the body are affected:

Pauciarticular JRA (oligoarthritis) is the most common type of JRA. In this type, 1 to 4 joints are affected.
Polyarticular JRA (polyarthritis) is the second most common type. Children with this type have 5 or more joints affected.
Systemic JRA is the least common type. It can cause whole-body symptoms, such as fever and rash.

Credits

Author	Jeannette Curtis
Author	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Editor	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Editor	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor	Tracy Landauer
Associate Editor	Pat Truman
Primary Medical Reviewer	Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Last Updated	May 25, 2007

Last updated:	May 25, 2007
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman

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