Etiology and Pathogenesis Neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) is a disease of the developing fetus and neonate defined by characteristic clinical features in the presence of specific maternal autoantibodies. It is…

Definition and Classification Enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA), a term introduced in the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) classification of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), is defined according to the inclusion…

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune multisystem disease characterized by thromboembolic events, pregnancy morbidity, hematological, dermatological, neurological, and other manifestations in the presence of elevated titers of antiphospholipid antibodies…

Inflammatory eye diseases comprise some of the most devastating complications of childhood rheumatic diseases, especially juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Chronic (initially asymptomatic) uveitis accompanying JIA is one of the most…

Scleroderma refers to hard skin that develops because of an excessive accumulation of collagen. In the localized form (localized scleroderma [LS], also called morphea ), inflammation in the skin and…

The association of arthritis with psoriasis was described almost 200 years ago, but it was not reported in children until the 1950s. Juvenile psoriatic arthritis (JPsA) is a heterogeneous entity,…

Definition and Classification The arthropathies of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may be defined as any noninfectious arthritis occurring before or during the course of Crohn’s disease (CD), indeterminate colitis (IC),…

Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) are inflammatory conditions with characteristic signs and symptoms defining specific disorders. Classification criteria developed by the American College of Rheumatology have provided guidelines for diagnosis in…

Definitions Chronic childhood arthritis affecting five joints or more during the first 6 months of disease is defined as polyarthritis. The International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) classification system…

Introduction Over the past 80 years, the role of laboratory investigation in rheumatic diseases has progressed from reports of curious in vitro phenomena in diseases defined purely on clinical grounds…