Juvenile chronic arthritis into adulthood: a long-term follow-up study

Objective. To evaluate a group of 65 adults with a history of or persistent juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA)I on average, 26.4 yr after disease onset. Methods. Disease status at the time of the study included an evaluation of disease-related parameters assessed by the patient and the investigator. Results. Active disease was present in 37% of the study participants, of wh ich 80% had either extended pauciarticular or polyarticular JCA. Eleven per cent of the study subjects were in Steinbrocker functional classes III and IV and 22% had undergone JCA-related major surgery. The pain visual analog ue scale, health assessment questionnaire, erythrocyte sedimentation rate a nd C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly increased in those participa nts who had active JCA at the time of the study. Disease duration proved to be the parameter most strongly associated with an unfavourable disease out come. Conclusions. Although the study group was biased towards the more severe ca ses, the data suggest that the long-term functional outcome in JCA is, in m ore than one-third, associated with active disease persisting into adulthoo d, increasing residua and the need for surgery.