JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

This literature review gathered medical books and articles published preferably in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese in the last five years in the PUBMED and SciELO databases with the main objective of reviewing JIA, indicating its clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic rheumatic disease in childhood, affecting children and adolescents under the age of 16. Characterized by persistent arthritis, JIA can manifest itself in several ways, with a significant impact on the quality of life of patients. The etiology of JIA is unknown, but it is believed to be multifactorial, involving genetic predisposition, environmental factors and immune dysfunction. The diagnosis of JIA is clinical and based on the presence of persistent arthritis for at least six weeks, exclusion of other causes of arthritis and identification of clinical and laboratory characteristics specific to each subtype. Treatment for JIA aims to control inflammation, relieve pain, prevent joint damage, improve physical function, and promote quality of life, and may include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), physical therapy, and occupational therapy. The prognosis for JIA varies depending on the subtype of the disease, the severity of inflammation, and the response to treatment.