CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND TREATMENT OF JUVENILE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Abstract

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects children and adolescents, characterized by persistent inflammation in the joints, which can result in irreversible joint damage. The clinical manifestations of JRA vary widely, including joint pain, morning stiffness, swelling, and impaired growth. The therapeutic approach is crucial to controlling symptoms, preventing joint damage, and improving quality of life for these patients, but a comprehensive understanding of treatment options is essential. Objective: To analyze and synthesize the available evidence on the clinical manifestations and treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The review seeks to provide a comprehensive view of the therapeutic strategies used, considering the diversity of clinical manifestations observed in children and adolescents with JRA. Methodology: The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, using the PubMed, Scielo and Web of Science databases. The descriptors used were "juvenile rheumatoid arthritis", "clinical manifestations", "treatment", "children" and "adolescents", with the search restricted to articles published in the last 10 years. The inclusion criteria included studies that addressed specific clinical manifestations of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, research that investigated different therapeutic approaches in the pediatric population and articles that presented relevant data on the evolution of the disease over time. On the other hand, the exclusion criteria included studies that did not specifically focus on juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, articles that did not provide detailed information on clinical manifestations and publications not available in full text or in a non-accessible language. Results: The results indicated a wide range of clinical manifestations of JRA, from mild symptoms to more severe forms of the disease. Several therapeutic options have been identified, including immunosuppressive medications and physical therapies. The review highlighted the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of JRA, considering not only the management of joint symptoms, but also psychosocial aspects. Conclusion: This systematic review provides a comprehensive understanding of the clinical manifestations and treatment options of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The diversity of therapeutic approaches highlighted in the reviewed studies highlights the need for personalization in treatment, considering the individual characteristics of each patient. These findings contribute to the knowledge base in the field and suggest directions for future research to further improve the clinical management of this condition in children and adolescents.