[Comparison of the benefits and risks of treating juvenile chronic arthritis with gold salts].

Risk and benefit of gold therapy were reviewed in patients with juvenile chronic arthritis. During a 6-month period, gold therapy was shown to be effective in 8 of 16 patients, and there has been improvement in the laboratory and clinical findings. Side effects were noticed in 5 cases, but in only one patient gold therapy had to be stopped due to alopecia areata. It is concluded that gold salts beneficially alter the course of the disease of children with juvenile chronic arthritis, with no more risk than in adults.