More than one million children in the United States are affected by rheumatologic diseases each year. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis and lupus are the most common rheumatic diseases; however, more than 500,000 children develop other rheumatic diseases. As an institution that focuses on research and clinical trials, we put our extensive resources behind researching, diagnosing, treating and managing these conditions.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)—also known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA)—is a complex disorder that causes joint inflammation. We treat all six categories of JIA:
- Oligoarticular arthritis
- Polyarticular arthritis
- Systemic disease
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Enthesitis-related disease
- Undifferentiated
Our physicians are also scientists progressively analyzing data from clinical trials to create new therapies for both common and rare forms of JIA.
Expert Knowledge in Lupus
Lupus—also known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)—is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack its own cells.
Careful evaluation from our highly-trained specialists is important when diagnosing lupus because of its unpredictable nature. Common symptoms include:
| Stiff and swollen joints |
Fever |
| Rash |
Fatigue |
| Chest pain |
Sensitivity to light |
| Cold hands |
Raynaud’s phenomenon |
| Headache |
Depression |
Seizures
|
Mouth sores |
Certain children are at higher risk for lupus:
- Teenagers (teens make up more than half of all lupus cases in children)
- Girls in their teens
- Children of African American, Latino and Asian descent
Vigilant monitoring and highly - specialized care are required with SLE because symptoms can change, disappear and reappear years later. As with other rheumatologic diseases, early and expert diagnosis can slow or stop some forms of lupus.
Lesser-Known Rheumatologic Diseases
Rheumatologic diseases include at least 100 different disorders. Below are several conditions we treat:
- Raynaud's phenomenon
- Scleroderma
- Fibromyalgia
- Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP)
- Lyme arthritis
- Dermatomyositis
In addition, our pediatric rheumatologists are an excellent resource for diagnostic dilemmas. Because pediatric rheumatologists coordinate care between many subspecialties, they can act as generalists for patients and families that have seen multiple specialists without a diagnosis. Very often they can pinpoint the issue and create a treatment plan.