Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) - Understanding a Childhood Rheumatic Disease

What is Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and how does it affect children?

Answer:

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a type of arthritis that affects children. Its exact cause is unknown (hence termed 'idiopathic') but it is similar to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in adults, in that it is an autoimmune disorder causing inflammation and cartilage breakdown in joints.

Explanation:

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a form of arthritis that affects children. The term idiopathic means that the exact cause is unknown, but it is known to be an autoimmune disorder. Like Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in adults, JIA causes immune cells to mistakenly attack healthy tissue in the joints, leading to inflammation, cartilage breakdown, and subsequent pain.

Symptoms similar to RA such as joint stiffness, swelling, and pain are prevalent. However, JIA's onset is during childhood, earlier than the typical 40-50-year onset of RA. JIA is diagnosed using physical symptoms, X-ray and MRI imaging, blood tests, and sometimes an arthrography, a specialized imaging technique to visualize joint structures. Although there is no cure for JIA, similar to RA, treatment focuses on relieving symptoms and improving joint functionality with a combination of physical therapy, medication, and in severe cases, possibly surgery.