Why has NIH established the clinic?
In children, arthritis, periodic fever syndromes, or other rheumatic diseases can be difficult to diagnose and challenging to treat. Some children experience swollen, painful, or stiff joints. Other common symptoms include skin rashes, weak muscles, fevers, and swollen glands. Children with arthritis and rheumatic diseases may have many disease-related challenges such as pain, disability, growth problems, and difficulty with school and social interactions. Juvenile rheumatic diseases affect each child differently. For many juvenile rheumatic diseases, there is no single diagnostic test; for a number of fever diseases, a genetic test can be used to diagnose the syndrome. Doctors and scientists want to learn more about how to treat and prevent juvenile rheumatic diseases. The NIH established the NIH Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic to serve as a resource for patients, doctors, and scientists around the country. Arthritis specialists (rheumatologists) will be trained at the NIH Pediatric Rhe
