Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

  • Etiology: autoimmune inflammatory joint disease
  • Imaging: osteoporosis most pronounced in periarticular region, cartilage destruction, joint narrowing, boney ankylosis is late manifestation, epipyseal overgrowth due to hyperemia, rice bodies in bursa, tenosynovitis extensor dominance, atlanto-axial rotatory subluxation
  • MRI: joint effusion, thick synovium, loose bodies, epipyseal enlargement
  • Clinical: onset prior to 16 years old, lasts at least 6 weeks, most common in 1-3 years old, knee most commonly affected joint

Radiology Cases of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

CT of atlanto-axial rotatory subluxation due to juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Axial images from a CT without contrast of the cervical spine shows the C1 vertebral body rotated to the left approximately 45 degrees (top) in relation to the C2 vertebral body (middle). A MIP image (bottom) better demonstrates the rotation of C1 on C2.