[Clinical features of spondyloarthropaties in childhood: analysis of 26 patients].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate retrospectively the clinical features of children and adolescents with spondiloarthropathies (Sps).


METHODS
The charts of all Sps patients followed up in the outpatient Pediatric Rheumatology unit of UNIFESP-EPM, were analyzed from June 1982 to April 2000. The following demographic data were evaluated: age of onset, disease duration, clinical features, laboratory data, radiological findings, treatment and outcome.


RESULTS
10 out of 26 patients (38.4%) presented SEA, 1 patient (3.8%) undifferentiated spondiloarthrophaty, 10 (38.4%) JAS, 2 (7.7%) arthropathy related to inflammatory bowel disease, 2 (7.7%) Reiter's syndrome and 1 (3.8%) psoriatic arthritis. The average age at disease onset was 9.2 years (1 to 15 years). The patients with Reiter's syndrome presented lower age at onset (average age 6.5 years). Twenty-five out of 26 were males and 15 out of 26 were caucasians. Most patients presented peripheral arthritis in lower limbs (96.1%), enthesitis (61.5%) and positive HLA-B27 (14/23 - 60.9%). Ten patients (38.4%) presented axial involvement. Fifteen patients had JRA or RF as diagnosis in the beginning of the disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Although less frequent than JRA, the spondiloarthropathies must be considered in the differential diagnosis of children and adolescents, mainly among male patients with chronic arthritis.
Faustino
P C
PC
Disciplina de Alergia, Imunologia e Reumatologia, Departamento de Pediatria, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP.
Terreri
M T
MT
Andrade
C T
CT
Len
C
C
Hilário
M O
MO
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D025242:Spondylarthropathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*