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Pediatric Rheumatology Diseases

Rheumatology is the study of joints, soft tissues and connective tissues. A pediatric rheumatology disease is any disease that affects the joints or tissues around the joints of a child. This would be similar to arthritis in an older person.

  1. Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

    • This is a chronic disease characterized by persistent joint inflammation. Doctors are still unsure of the cause of the disease. This is a rare disease affecting fewer than 100 children per 100,000. It is a nonhereditary disease. There are many types of this disease, all having their own version of symptoms.

    Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

    • This is an autoimmune disease that attacks the body. It can affect various organs as well as the joints. This is a rare disease that affects five in a million children per year. The exact causes are unknown, but the symptoms are apparent with the joints and skin becoming inflamed and damaged in the areas afflicted. Lupus is not contagious.

    Kawasaki Disease

    • This disease was described in 1967 by a Japanese pediatrician, Tomisaku Kawasaki. He recognized a group of children with similar symptoms including fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis and enanthem (redness of the throat and oral mucus) among other symptoms. Later, heart complications like aneurysms of the arteries were reported. Kawasaki disease is not hereditary. It is believed to be infectious, but it is rare. Thankfully, even though the symptoms can be severe, the disease can be treated and cured.

    Lyme Arthritis

    • This disease is transmitted by tick bites. The joints are the primary target of the disease, but the central nervous system, the heart and the eyes can be affected as well as other organs. This is purely an infectious disease, not inherited and not contagious. It is only communicable by tick bite. This disease can be cured by antibiotics.

    Behcet's Disease

    • This disease was described in 1937 and is characterized by recurrent ulcers in the mouth, genitals, eye, joint, skin, blood vessels and the nervous system. This disease is more common in the Middle East and Asia. It is evenly distributed among the sexes, but men have more severe symptoms. The cause of this disease is unknown, but hereditary causes are suspected. It is not contagious and is not the same in every child. Unfortunately, a cure has not been found. The disease can go into remission with the proper treatment, but it can only be controlled, not cured.

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