Juvenile idiopathic arthritis – Tests

Diagnosis of JIA is difficult because joint pain in children can be from many other causes. There is no single test that can confirm the diagnosis and most physicians use a combination of blood tests, x rays and the clinical presentation to make an initial diagnosis of JIA.

Diagnosis of JIA is difficult because joint pain in children can be from many other causes. There is no single test that can confirm the diagnosis and most physicians use a combination of blood tests, x rays and the clinical presentation to make an initial diagnosis of JIA. The blood tests measure antibodies and the rheumatoid factor. Unfortunately, the rheumatoid factor is not present in all children with JIA. Moreover in most children the blood work is usually normal. X rays are obtained to ensure that the joint pain is not from a fracture, cancer, infection or a congenital abnormality.

In most cases, fluid from the joint is aspirated and analyzed. This test often helps in making a diagnosis of JIA by ruling out other causes of joint pain.


Adapted from the Wikipedia article Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki








Related Articles

1. Eye disease: JIA is associated with inflammation in the front of the eye (specifically iridocyclitis, a form of ”chronic anterior uveitisR...
Juvenile Idiopathic ArthritisWhile not always pathological, it can present as a birth defect in multiple syndromes including: fetal alcohol syndrome, congenital rubella, DiGeorge&...
Arthritis TreatmentWith proper therapy, most children do improve with time and lead normal lives. However, severe cases of JIA which are not treated promptly can lead to...
Psoriatic ArthritisJuvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common form of persistent arthritis in children. (Juvenile in this context refers to an onset before a...
Arthritis RaJuvenile arthritis affects one child per 1,000 under the age of sixteen. There is no cure yet, but medication will help with the typical arthritis sy...