Patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) may be subdivided into a minority, who carry IgM rheumatoid factor and have erosive polyarthritis resembling adult rheumatoid arthritis, and the majority (90%), who are seronegative by conventional means. Between 30 and 60% of patients with JCA have positive antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) according to the choice of substrate for indirect immunofluor...

Great progress has been made during the latter half of this century in the care of patients with iridocyclitis associated with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The most major advance was the development of corticosteroids for systemic and ophthalmic use just after the mid-way point of this century, and the second major advance came through the admonitions of Jacobs and Spalter of New York and of ...

3.1 What laboratory tests are needed? At the time of diagnosis, certain laboratory tests are useful along with joint examination and eye checks. These tests help to define the type of JIA and to identify patients at risk of developing specific complications such as chronic iridocyclitis. Rheumatoid factor (RF) is a laboratory test detecting an autoantibody, which, if positive and persistent in ...