Paediatric rheumatology

What is paediatric rheumatology?

Paediatric rheumatology is a branch of paediatrics that specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the locomotor system (bones, muscles, joints and tendons) of both children and adolescents. It also deals with connective tissue disorders and autoimmune pathologies.

In this speciality, we approach prevention and diagnosis taking into account the particularities of paediatric patients, in terms of clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, which are different from those of adults.

Which patients is the child rheumatology consultation aimed at?

Child rheumatologists treat paediatric patients with autoimmune, connective tissue or inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

What does paediatric rheumatology study?

Paediatric rheumatology addresses autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, as well as rheumatic pathologies that alter the normal state of the joints, muscles and ligaments that surround them. One of its main goals is research to ensure that these diseases have as little impact as possible on children’s quality of life. In order to better understand their condition and, consequently, offer children more suitable treatments, child rheumatologists tend to focus on specific areas of the speciality such as:

• Systemic autoimmune diseases: prevent the immune system from working properly and cause antibodies to attack healthy cells and tissues. They require a multidisciplinary approach due to their complexity and low incidence in the paediatric age group.
• Spondyloarthropathies: chronic pathology that affects the joints and is usually caused by an alteration of the HLA-B27 gene.
• Childhood rheumatoid arthritis: causes stiffness, pain and loss of movement in the joints.
• Immunosuppression: subspecialty that manages the condition of patients receiving biological therapies, with immunomodulators or immunoregulators, which cause a weakening of the immune system.

Techniques, procedures and diagnostic methods

Both a medical and family history and a physical examination are key to be able to diagnose rheumatic diseases in children and adolescents in the best possible way. Our specialists also study the results of more specific tests that offer clearer findings in order to establish the most suitable treatment in each case. The main diagnostic methods and rehabilitative techniques include:

• Ultrasound: a diagnostic imaging test that shows images of internal organs with the use of high-frequency sound waves.
• Infiltrations: an analgesic injection directly into the joint or muscle to reduce pain.
• Arthrocentesis: procedure to remove excess fluid from a joint with a needle to reduce pain and swelling.
• Capillaroscopy: diagnostic method that provides images of the distal periungual capillaries and enables assessment of the circulation of the veins in the hands.