Evaluation of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in southeastern Turkey: a single center experience.

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the disease characteristics of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in southeast Turkey.

METHODS

The International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) criteria were used to diagnose JIA. Hospital records of the Pediatric Rheumatology Unit, of the Dicle University Hospital, were reviewed retrospectively and demographic, clinical and laboratory data were recorded.

RESULTS

Totally 213 children (103 boys, 110 girls), with an age range of 1.6-18 years were enrolled. The mean age of the disease onset was 8.1 years. Polyarticular type was the most common (42.3%) presentation. The frequencies of other JIA subtypes were as follows: oligoarticular 37.1%, systemic 8.9%, enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) 10.8% and psoriatic arthritis 0.9%. The knees (74.2%) and ankles (54.0%) were the most commonly affected joints. Uveitis was found in 4.2% of patients. Anti-nuclear antibodies were positive in 11.7% and HLA-B27 in 2.8% of patients. Active disease was seen in 57 (26.7%) patients at the last visit.

CONCLUSION

In the present study, polyarticular JIA was the predominant subtype and there were fewer patients with positive ANA or uveitis compared to previous studies. Hippokratia 2015, 19 (1): 63-68.