[Growth in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis].

INTRODUCTION

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that often requires steroid therapy. Growth retardation can be a serious complication in some of these patients.

OBJECTIVE

To study linear growth in patients with JIA and evaluate the factors involved in its disturbance.

METHODS

We studied 91 patients with JIA with a follow-up of at least one year. A cross sectional study, a longitudinal retrospective study, and a longitudinal prospective study were performed. Height in the first consultation, in the cross sectional study, and one year previously was evaluated. Height velocity (HV) was calculated. Several parameters related to disease activity, corticosteroid therapy, nutritional and hormonal status, and bone mineral density (BMD) were analyzed. A correlation study and multivariate regression analysis were carried out.

RESULTS

Height was < or = -2 SD in 14.3 % of the series and in 55.6 % of the systemic group. Variables independently associated with height were total corticosteroid dose, functional class, nutritional index, BMD, and age at onset of the disease. HV was < or = 2 SD in 25.3 % of the series and in 61 % of the systemic group. Variables independently associated with HV were corticosteroid dose and the number of swollen joints.

CONCLUSIONS

Growth retardation in patients with JIA was associated with factors related to the disease, corticosteroid therapy, nutritional status, BMD, and earlier onset of the disease.