Suspected Inflammatory Arthritis (e.g., Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis)
JIA is a diagnosis of exclusion.
Making a diagnosis of JIA relies on careful clinical assessment (history and examination), 'bedside' evaluation and a high index of suspicion with investigations used to exclude other pathology including malignancy and infection.
A summary about the approach to suspected JIA is available.
It is noted that:
- Synovial biopsy is not needed to diagnose JIA and should be avoided unless there is high suspicion of malignancy or Tuberculosis.
- The presence of autoantibodies like anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) or Rheumatoid factor (RF) are not required to diagnose JIA.
- Careful clinical assessment can differentiate between inflammatory joint conditions such as JIA, mechanical causes of joint pains, and other conditions causing joint pain and swelling.
- Extra-articular features such as rash, uveitis, or multisystem involvement are also important in the diagnostic process. Some rashes are characteristic (e.g., the evanescent salmon pink rash of systemic JIA or psoriasis in psoriatic arthritis).
- The differential diagnosis for JIA is extensive with conditions ranging from the benign (e.g.,hypermobility) to the life threatening red flag conditions (e.g., malignancy, such as leukaemia and solid tumours, infection, Rheumatic Fever and non-accidental injury).
- Laboratory tests are seldom diagnostic but may help to exclude other diagnoses. They can be helpful at times to support the diagnosis of JIA and are also used by specialist teams to monitor disease activity and adverse effects of immunosuppressive drugs. More information about JIA and management is available.
- Investigations are likely to include as a minimum, full [complete] blood count (and peripheral smear [blood film] and Lactate Dehydrogenase [LDH] to help exclude malignancy), acute phase reactants (ESR, CRP and occasionally ferritin) and pending the clinical context, blood cultures or serology for infection (e.g., streptococcal infection, Yersinia for reactive arthritis), autoantibodies (Antinuclear antibodies - not diagnostic but in the context of JIA, increases the risk of chronic anterior uveitis).
- HLA-B27 - The presence of HLA-B27 is common in many healthy people. In the presence of inflammatory arthritis, HLA-B27 can be associated with axial spine involvement (which may present later, usually in teenage years, with pain / stiffness in the neck or lower back) and acute uveitis (resulting in a painful red eye) and different to the chronic anterior uveitis (silent and asymptomatic) observed in many cases of JIA. The presence of HLA-B27 has implications for monitoring and eye screening as it is associated with acute uveitis in Enthesitis Related Arthritis. In the context of oligoarticular JIA and enthesitis, the presence of HLA-B27 may predict increased likelihood of axial spine involvement (sacroiliitis); notably HLA-B27 status is not diagnostic and even if negative, with inflammatory back pain, further investigation is needed (i.e., MRI imaging).
- Imaging such as radiographs, ultrasound or MRI may be needed. If MRI is performed, the addition of gadolinium contrast will enhance the sensitivity to detect the synovitis. MRI of the spine and sacroiliac joints (sometimes with gadolinium) is warranted if the presentation suggests inflammatory back pain as a feature of JIA; radiographs of the sacroiliac joints are very difficult to interpret in adolescents and the radiation exposure is considerable.
- If JIA is suspected, then slit lamp examination for chronic anterior uveitis is warranted.
- However, blood tests and radiographs are often initially normal in JIA; this can give false reassurance at the time of presentation and may contribute to a delay in the diagnosis.
