Zdorovʹe Rebenka (Nov 2016)
Evaluation of Manifestations of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and Its Outcomes in Long-Term Follow-Up (5–10–15 Years)
Abstract
Background. In our time, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a disease with difficult symptoms and consequences, in which patients’ disability can be formed in the first years of the pathological process. Scientific and practical interest to this disease in our time basically concerns the use of biological treatment technologies. However, a clear knowledge of disease characteristics, the timely prescription of adequate conventional therapy, can prevent early disability in a significant proportion of people. Research purpose was to evaluate manifestations of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at different stages of evolution of the disease, since onset, and to determine consequences of the disease during long-term follow-up. Materials and methods. Authors examined the evolution of articular form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in 117 patients aged 2 to 18 years, who were hospitalized during the 2012–2015 in the clinic of State Institution «Institute of Children and Adolescents Health Care of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine». Assessment of disease manifestations was performed each year of the process development. The final duration of the disease was 5–10–15 years. Results. It was found that on the background of traditional treatment, there is persistent annual progression of changes in the joints, which is manifests in increasing the number of affected joints, lack of its function and radiographic changes, microcirculatory disorders. From the first years of the process, there was observed a clear predominance of polyarthritis (p < 0.01). The data were obtained that disease progression rates were certainly affected by delayed establishing of the correct diagnosis and the administration of basic treatment (according to observation, only 12 % of patients began to receive it at the end of the first year of illness). Conclusions. Positive consequences of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis depend not only on timely prescription of basic drugs, but also on the long-term (years) its use. Preventing the progression of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which often takes place against the background of minimal activity, requires regular routine observation of patients and careful examination by both clinical and instrumental methods.
Keywords
