Pediatric Rheumatology

Even children may suffer from swollen joints, pain or restricted movements as well as other musculoskeletal complaints (limping, stiff joints in the mornings) due to rheumatic disorders.

In addition to the complaints listed above, the rheumatologist examines and treats children suffering from chronic inflammation of the joints (juvenile idiopathic arthritis), systemic autoimmune disorders (SLE, juvenile dermatomyositis, scleroderma, non-differential collagenosis, Raynaud’s syndrome) and pain syndrome that is not of orthopedic origin (fibromyalgia, pain amplification syndrome).

The rheumatological examination begins with the child’s medical history followed by a thorough physical examination with regards to the child’s  rheumatological status,  Diagnosis is determined and therapy planned.

Most common rheumatological disorders in children

I.  Non inflammatory musculoskeletal pain.

I.I   Mechanical pain

• Hypermobility
• Overloading
• Osteochondrosis

I.II Non mechanical, non inflammatory musculoskeletal pain

• Growth pains
• Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
• Fibromyalgia
• Pain amplification syndrome

II.   Autoimmune disorders

II.I Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

• Oligoarticular JIA
• Polyarticular JIA, rheumatoid factor (RF) negative
• Polyarticular JIA, RF positive
• Systemic JIA
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Enthesitis-related JIA (spondylarthropathy)
• Other arthritis

II.II   Collagens

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• Dermatomyositis (DM)
• Scleroderma
• Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)

II.III  Vasculitides

• Henoch-Schonlein purpura
• Wegener’s granulomatosis disease
• Polyarteritis nodosa
• Kawasaki syndrome
• Cutaneous vasculitis

III   Auto inflammation disorders and other unusual inflammatory disorders

• Familial Mediterranean fever
• Other periodic fever syndromes (CINCA/NOMID)
• Sarcoidosis
• Behcet’s disease