title: Juvenile arthritis with oligoarticular onset.
abstract: Patients with oligoarticular onset of juvenile arthritis form a large group that is heterogeneous with regard to clinical presentation, further evolution and outcome. The three established subgroups do not cover the whole patient population and are not always easily distinguishable at onset. Therefore, the outcome of children with oligoarticular onset is still, on the whole, unpredictable. Treatment has been very conservative, but, as part of it, the use of intra-articular corticosteroids is increasing and should be encouraged. The question of whether to give slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs is a difficult one, as these have neither been studied nor recommended for use in persistently oligoarticular patients.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Pelkonen
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017668:Age of Onset; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007596:Joints / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones