The Long-Term Outcome of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Over the past decades, a number of studies have evaluated the long-term outcome of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and some of them have also attempted to identify early prognostic factors. The available data indicate that JIA is not a benign disease because a substantial number of patients still enter adulthood with persistently active disease and may develop severe physical disability. Although a great deal of data are accumulating on prognostic factors in JIA, prediction of long-term outcome early after disease presentation is still difficult because comparisons among existing studies are hindered by a number of reasons. To increase comparability of future analyses and obtain generalizable information on the prognosis of JIA and its prediction, a great deal of effort should be directed toward standardizing the study design and the measurement of predictors and outcomes.