title: Children with oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis are at considerable risk for growth retardation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess linear growth in patients with persistent oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) treated by intra-articular corticosteroid injections (IACSI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from a retrospective review of the charts of 95 patients with persistent oligoarticular JIA (69 females). The mean age at first visit was 4.9 ± 3.4 years, with follow-up of 6 ± 3.7 years. The height SDS for chronologic age (z-score) was correlated with the clinical course of the disease and compared among patients treated by IACSI alone (group I) or by a combination of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (group II).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Growth retardation was found in 35.8% of patients (Δ z-score <-0.3), including 11.6% with severe growth retardation (Δ z-score <-1.0). Growth retardation was found in a smaller proportion of patients in group I (any growth retardation, 30.6%; severe growth retardation, 6.5%) than in patients in group II (any growth retardation, 44.4%; severe growth retardation, 21.2%; P < .05). Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate values (≥ 40 mm/1sth) indicated a significantly higher risk for growth retardation. All other clinical variables had no association with growth retardation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant proportion of patients with persistent oligoarticular JIA have growth retardation and a minority have severe growth retardation. Only elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate values were proven to be a good predictor of risk for growth retardation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel. shay.pade@sheba.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Shai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Padeh
authors.forename: Orit
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pinhas-Hamiel
authors.forename: Dorith
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zimmermann-Sloutskis
authors.forename: Yackov
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Berkun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide