title: Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Musculoskeletal problems account for the majority of initial complaints attended to by primary care physicians. It is likely that a child who eventually has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed will initially be evaluated by a family physician or a pediatrician. Primary care physicians will play an increasingly important role in management of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, as the availability of specialists in many communities is limited, and access to them may be further limited by managed care initiatives. This article offers a brief review of the definition and classification of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and introduces a diagnostic algorithm to provide a simplified approach toward evaluating children with arthritis. Treatment and outcomes are summarized in text and graphic formats.
authors.affiliation: University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, TX 76108-2699, USA.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pertusi
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blackwell
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents