[Changes in the hepatobiliary system in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis].

The authors submit the results of echographic investigation of 42 children aged from 4 to 15 years old with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). All the patients were distributed into three groups. Signs of affection of the hepatobiliary system were revealed in 60% of the patients, predominantly with the articular form of the disease and in 78.5% of the children with the articular -visceral form. The most grave changes were noted in the group of patients with JRA complicated by secondary amyloidosis (100%). The data obtained are compared with the clinico-laboratory indices, the form of the disease, peculiarity of therapy as a result of which a relationship between the mentioned signs and the character of JRA lesions is established. A high informativeness of the echographic method especially in the diagnosis of secondary amylosis is confirmed.