Rheumatology
Treatment for Rheumatic Diseases in Children and Adolescents
At Manning Family Children’s, our board-certified pediatric rheumatologist specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and education of rheumatic diseases that affect the skin, bones, muscles, and joints in children, adolescents, and young adults. In addition, these diseases can affect a child’s eyes and other internal organs, making the medical care of these children very complicated and unique. Rheumatologic conditions include inflammatory disorders, connective tissue diseases, and autoimmune diseases where the immune system attacks otherwise healthy tissue.
Our pediatric rheumatology team offers a multidisciplinary approach while providing family-centered care for a wide range of rheumatologic and autoimmune conditions with a goal to improve the quality of life of each patient.
Highlights of our program
- Multidisciplinary teams – The pediatric rheumatology team includes a pediatric rheumatology fellowship trained physician, a nurse navigator, physical therapists, occupational therapists, registered dietitians, and social workers who partner with each patient and their family to meet the unique needs of our patients.
- National collaboration - The Pediatric Rheumatology Department partners with the Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group (PRCSG), a national network of pediatric rheumatology clinicians and researchers created to foster, facilitate and conduct high-quality clinical research in the field of pediatric rheumatology.
- Family-center care - We recognize that pediatric rheumatological conditions are often present throughout childhood and can affect the whole family. Our team provides support for each patient and the patient’s caregivers.
What are rheumatic and autoimmune disorders?
Some of the most common reasons a primary care doctor refers young patients to a pediatric rheumatologist include evidence of joint swelling and stiffness, ongoing and unexplained fevers, rashes, fatigue, and chronic inflammation. Pediatric rheumatologists have specialized training to diagnose and treat autoimmune disorders in youngsters.
Like many chronic illnesses, rheumatic and autoimmune conditions are subject to misdiagnosis. This is particularly true in children where the complex array of chronic rheumatic diseases fluctuates in severity and makes them more difficult to detect, which in turn can cause life-threatening complications. Children may also experience significant, even permanent problems that can affect different aspects of their growth, development, and overall quality of life. Because of these reasons, early diagnosis is essential for proper management and to prevent long-term complications.
Rheumatic and autoimmune conditions commonly treated:
- Dermatomyositis
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- Mixed connective tissue disease including scleroderma
- Musculoskeletal pain syndromes including joint hypermobility, fibromyalgia, growing pains, complex regional pain syndrome
- Periodic fever syndromes
- Sarcoidosis
- Sjogren’s syndrome
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Vasculitis
Your child’s pediatric rheumatology appointment
Prior to your child’s appointment, all outside medical records including labs, imaging studies, and recent growth charts should be faxed to the office prior to the scheduled appointment.
During your child’s first visit with a pediatric rheumatologist, the provider will discuss your child’s symptoms, medical history, current medications, and allergies as well as the family medical history. The provider will perform a complete physical exam and will review any related lab work or imaging studies. Depending on your child’s condition, additional labs, imaging studies or other diagnostic tests may be recommended. Some tests may be performed on that day while others will need to be scheduled. These additional tests may be needed before a diagnosis can be made. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, the team will develop a comprehensive treatment plan to address the unique needs of each patient.
