juvenile idiopathic arthritis

arthritis, juvenile idiopathic 

An inflammation of a joint or joints beginning in childhood. The entity is commonly divided into three types: pauciarticular (oligoarthritis) in which four joints or less are involved. It affects girls much more frequently than boys, especially in early onset, and it is associated with anterior uveitis in about 20% of cases. Complications from the uveitis include posterior synechia, band keratopathy, glaucoma and cataract; polyarticular (polyarthritis) in which more than four joints are involved with only a few percent of cases developing uveitis; and the most severe form systemic (Still's disease) which affects boys and girls equally and in which uveitis rarely develops. Syn. juvenile chronic arthritis; juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Note: both synonyms were used formerly.

Millodot: Dictionary of Optometry and Visual Science, 7th edition. © 2009 Butterworth-Heinemann