Corticosteroids for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Corticosteroids are often used to treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Corticosteroids that are taken by mouth or injected are most often used to control the initial stages of systemic Reference juvenile idiopathic arthritis Opens New Window (JIA). Corticosteroids may also be used in children who have Reference oligoarticular Opens New Window or Reference polyarticular Opens New Window disease with severe morning stiffness or night pain.

A short "burst" therapy (initially high doses of oral corticosteroids that are tapered off) may be useful when inflammation around the heart (pericarditis) or fever is present in children with Reference systemic JIA Opens New Window.

Corticosteroids may also be used as "bridge" therapy when starting a stronger second-line medicine, such as methotrexate, to control symptoms while the new medicine takes effect. After a period of time, the corticosteroid is slowly withdrawn to see whether the other medicine is effective.

Injections of corticosteroids may be used to treat specific joints when conservative therapy has controlled symptoms well except in those specific joints.

Corticosteroid eyedrops are used in children who develop inflammatory eye disease.

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