Profile of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Observed in Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire): A Report about 17 Cases

Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common rheumatic disease in children. Compared to Western countries, very few studies have been devoted to this disease in black sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is to describe the epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical and therapeutic features of juvenile idiopathic arthritis observed in Abidjan and identify the clinical forms.

Methodology: This descriptive retrospective study covered 17 children (11 girls and 6 boys, age range: 3-15 years) suffering from juvenile idiopathic arthritis which met the Durban criteria of 1997 revised in Edmonton in 2001. The children have been selected in the rheumatology department of University Hospital Center of Cocody in Abidjan from January 2005 to December 2013. We were interested to sociodemographic, clinical, biological, radiological and therapeutic parameters.

Results: The frequency of juvenile idiopathic arthritis was 0.03% that was 17 children among the 4608 rheumatic diseases identified during the study period. The number of patients was dominated by females (64.7%) and the average age at the time of diagnosis was 11 years. The average delay at the time of diagnosis was 15 months. The main complaints of patients were fever, joint involvement and impaired general condition observed each in 12 cases. It was noted the presence of radiographic erosions in 4 cases and 1 case of coxitis on Computer tomography scan. The clinical forms identified were systemic form (12 cases), oligoarticular form (1 case), polyarticular form with positive rheumatoid factors (3 cases), enthesitis-related arthritis (1 case). The vast majority of our patients (15 of 17) was treated with the combination therapy corticosteroid and methotrexate.

Conclusion: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis appears very uncommon and affects female children. It is expressed by febrile arthritis with an impaired general condition and is dominated by the systemic form.