title: Adult outcomes of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Knowledge of the long-term outcomes of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) has evolved during the past decade. Recent studies, using standardized classification criteria, new and reliable outcome measures and improved methods of statistical analyses, show that outcomes are still less than ideal. Approximately half of all young adults with JIA have ongoing active disease and over one third experience detectable degrees of disability and organ damage. These patients also show a distinctive pattern of growth disturbances. Most patients with general growth failure have systemic or polyarticular disease: significant short stature (final height standard deviation score <-2) has been noted in 41% of patients with systemic JIA and in 11% of patients with polyarticular JIA. In contrast, localized growth disturbances can be seen in patients with oligoarthritis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite its name, JIA can be a lifelong disorder. With early and more widespread use of biological and other innovative therapies, however, outcomes for patients with JIA should improve further.
authors: Children's University Hospital Charité Berlin and Epidemiology Unit, German Rheumatism Research Centre, Berlin DE-13353, Germany. minden@drfz.de
authors: Kirsten
authors: K
authors: Minden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001827:Body Height; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents