Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in clinical remission with positive power Doppler signal in joint ultrasonography have an increased rate of clinical flare: a prospective study

Table 1 Demographic and clinical data of all patients (n = 35) at the initial evaluation

Mean age ± SD	11.6 ± 3.8 years
Mean age at JIA onset ± SD	4.4 ± 3.2 years
Mean time of JIA duration ± SD	7.1 ± 3.5 years
Females	28 (80%)
Subtype
Oligoarticular persistent	14 (40%)
Oligoarticular extended	12 (34.3%)
Polyarticular^a	9 (25.7%)
ANA positive	20 (57.1%)
Previous uveitis	4 (11.4%)
Type of clinical remission
On medication	26 (74.3%)
Off medication	9 (25.7%)
Mean time on clinical remission ± SD	1.9 ± 2.2 years
CHAQ median (minimum – maximum)	0 (0–0.375)
Global physician’s VAS median (minimum – maximum)^b	0 (0–1)
Global parents or patient’s VAS median (minimum – maximum)	0 (0–5)
ESR mm³/h (mean ± SD)	6.8 ± 4.9
CRP mg/dL (mean ± SD)	0.2 ± 0.15

SD standard deviation, JIA juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ANA antinuclear antibody, ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP C-reactive protein, CHAQ Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire, VAS visual analogue scale
^aNo patient had positive rheumatoid factor. ^bOne patient received a Global physician’s VAS of 1 due to joint limitation explained by previous joint damage and not due to active disease at the time of evaluation

ISSN: 1546-0096