Radiological assessment of fifty patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: Correlation with clinical and laboratory abnormalities

Abstract

The radiological status of fifty patients with rheumatoid arthritis was re-evaluated in a follow-up study ranging from 1–30 years. A skeletal survey was compared with the radiographs taken at the onset of the disease and changes were graded according to severity (0-IV). — A significant correlation was found between those showing moderate or severe radiological changes and those in whom the age of onset was less than 6 years. A similar correlation was seen with increasing duration of disease activity, intermittent or continuous course (as opposed to monocyclic. Goel and Shanks [4]) poor functional status, physical deformity, splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy and serological abnormalities. — Patients in the group treated by steroids showed a higher incidence of moderate or severe rediological changes. — No association, either positive or negative, was observed between the radiological grade and rheumatoid rash, increased B₁C/B₁A globulins or the sex of the patient.