November 2020

My child has been uveitis free for two years now. She is on methotrexate injections. Is it safe to try methotrexate pills again?

By |November 9th, 2020|, |

Recently, a group of Canadian pediatric rheumatologists, pediatric ophthalmologists and patients and parents have been working together to develop standardized approaches for monitoring and treating children with uveitis associated with JIA .  It was felt important to develop standardized approaches because there is some variability in how children with JIA uveitis are managed. In [...]

Read More
 0

What are the effects of having long term uveitis? Are flares the only time to worry about? Do eyes degrade similar to joints?

By |November 9th, 2020|, |

Long term effects of uveitis can be minimized by prompt diagnosis, consistent monitoring, and appropriate use of medications.  Some of the main effects that can occur and which we try to avoid with therapy include the following: Decrease in vision:  When there is inflammation in the eye, such as occurs with uveitis, there can [...]

Read More
 0

With the current treatment that you are using on your patients, what are the expected outcomes?

By |November 9th, 2020|, |

At present, we can decide treatments based on experiences from large groups of patients with similar conditions.  However, the conclusions we make about the diseases and the treatments from studying the group as a whole do not always precisely apply to individual patients within the group; there is considerable variability in how individual patients [...]

Read More
 0

What should we focus on while researching underlying causes for uveitis to help with the treatment (as parents)?

By |November 9th, 2020|, , |

Research is crucial to advancing knowledge about the causes, mechanisms, and treatment for uveitis. In all our research now, including our studies relating to uveitis and childhood arthritis, we ensure that parents and patients are represented on our research teams.  We feel it is important for patients and parents to contribute their ideas and [...]

Read More
 0

What is known about ANA negative cases and ones that don’t show up strongly on tests but still show symptoms?

By |November 9th, 2020||

In children with the type of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA; the word "idiopathic" means the cause is unknown) referred to as oligoarticular JIA (children with fewer than five joints involved; the name "oligo" comes from the Greek word meaning "few"),  the antinuclear antibody test (ANA) is positive in about 90% of children.  This type [...]

Read More
 0

If the patient seems to respond great to naproxen/NSAID and cortisone, what would be the reasoning for starting methotrexate or another second-line agent? Would part of it be in hopes of coming off the NSAID?

By |November 6th, 2020|, |

In our treatment of JIA, we often initially start with NSAID (e.g. naproxen) and may use corticosteroid joint injections for a few large joints. If this allows patients to achieve remission, then typically a disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) such as methotrexate is not required. However, if there is any residual disease activity after [...]

Read More
 0

My doctor mentioned a 20% chance of uveitis among all JIA patients. If the patient has common characteristics such as young female and ANA positive, what does the probability of uveitis occurrence increase to for this subgroup?

By |November 6th, 2020|, |

Our Canadian research, looking at over 1,000 children newly diagnosed with JIA, has shown that the most important contributors to probability of uveitis are a positive ANA and being diagnosed at a young age.  Uveitis was most commonly seen in children with either oligoarthritis or polyarticular rheumatoid factor negative JIA. We also saw that [...]

Read More
 0

What’s the difference between oligoarticular JIA and polyarticular JIA? Are there differences in treatment?

By |November 6th, 2020||

There are 7 recognized subtypes of JIA, and ‘oligoarticular’ disease refers to children who have 4 or fewer joints affected at diagnosis. Some oligoarticular cases can ‘extend’ after 6 months to involve 5 or more joints while others ‘persist’ as oligoarticular. In terms of treatment, this is tailored to the specific patient situation. NSAIDS [...]

Read More
 0

CASSIE AND FRIENDS SOCIETY
100 -33 East 8th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5T 1R5
Office: 604.617.1382
info@cassieandfriends.ca
Follow us on social media

Quick Links

Get Involved

Latest News

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

JOIN US TODAY

If you or a loved one is dealing with Juvenile Arthritis or any rheumatic disease, you're not alone. Sign up now for access to vital resources, news, and events. Join a supportive community that gets what you're facing. Together, we can make a difference in your Juvenile Arthritis journey.

Go to Top