Articles on Medical Diseases and Conditions

Entries for September, 2009

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), also known as “juvenile chronic polyarthritis,” or “Still’s disease,” is the most common disorder of childhood involving chronic joint inflammation (synovitis). Since there is a spectrum of signs and symptoms, diagnosis partially depends on exclusion of other recognized arthritis syndromes (some of which are discussed later). There are three subdivisions of […]

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic disease whose most prominent symptom is inflammation of joints. The small joints of the hands and feet, especially the proximal interphalangeal joints, are most frequently affected; involvement of larger joints of the extremities is somewhat less frequent, and occasionally nonextremity joints may be affected. Polyarticular involvement is much […]

Rheumatoid Diseases

The relationship between the rheumatoid diseases and diseases of the so-called collagen-vascular group is both close and uncertain. Many of the clinical symptoms found classically in one disease or syndrome may be found in another; the difference is on emphasis of certain aspects over others. This similarity extends to laboratory tests and makes it even […]