Profile of a pediatric rheumatology practice in Israel.

BACKGROUND

Several studies from Western countries have analyzed the profile of pediatric rheumatology practices. Due to differences in demography and health care systems the profile in Israel may differ from those countries.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the profile of a pediatric rheumatology practice in Israel.

METHODS

All new patients seen during the course of 2000 as part of my pediatric rheumatology practice in Northern Israel were registered at their initial encounter. Recorded were demographic data, referral patterns, diagnoses, and disease-related data. Diagnoses were grouped together by types of condition.

RESULTS

242 new patients were seen. 39% of the patients had a rheumatic condition, 39% had non-inflammatory conditions, 12% had periodic fever syndromes and for 10% no definitive diagnosis was determined. 14% had chronic rheumatic diseases. The time until diagnosis was significantly greater and more physicians were involved in the evaluation of periodic fever syndromes than in other disease groups. Seventeen (7%) patients had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). The minimum estimated incidence of JRA was 8.8 per 100,000 children.

CONCLUSIONS

Most patients seen did not have classic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, similar to data from other Western countries. Distinctive to Israel and the Middle East, periodic fever syndromes comprise a large proportion of the pediatric rheumatology practice. These syndromes are relatively difficult for community physicians to diagnose.