How to Diagnose Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

If you suspect your child has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, you must see the family doctor or pediatrician. There is no definitive test for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Instead, the doctor must gather various data to arrive at a diagnosis.

Instructions

• 1

  Note key symptoms. The doctor will assess walking with a limp, morning stiffness, favored use of one arm or leg and general inactivity. The child with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis often experiences short bouts of fever in the evening. Joints appear swollen.

• 2

  Take a medical history. The doctor will ask about the duration of the symptoms. The pain and swelling must last six weeks to support a diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The doctor will ask about any family history of other autoimmune diseases.

• 3

  Conduct a physical exam. The doctor will examine the joints for swelling and tenderness. Tests will look for decreased strength in the muscles around these joints. Lymph nodes in the neck will be checked for enlargement. The doctor will look for signs of the extent and severity of the arthritis including rash, sensitivity of the eye to bright light, lumps and signs that the internal organs have been affected.

• 4

  Eliminate other explanations. Other illnesses can mimic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The doctor will ask questions and run blood tests to rule out any competing diagnosis such as injury, infections, bone diseases, Lyme disease and lupus. A bone scan will further explain reasons for bone and joint pain.

• 5

  Run an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test and antinuclear antibody (ANA) test. The ESR documents how fast red blood cells fall to the bottom of a test tube. The rate is faster in those with arthritis. The ANA is a blood test for autoimmunity. It is a strong predictor of eye complications in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

• 6

  Conduct a Rheumatoid Factor (RF) test. This blood test looks for an antibody sometimes found in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The RF test does not give a definitive diagnosis. The antibody is found more often in adults with arthritis.

• 7

  Classify the juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. A diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is labeled as one of three types. When four or fewer joints are affected, it is called pauciarticular. Polyarticular involves at least five joints. The name systemic applies when other parts of the body such as organs are affected and other symptoms like fever and rashes occur.