Developments in the treatment of juvenile arthritis.

Although rarely a life-threatening disease, juvenile arthritis (JA) can, if poorly controlled, profoundly affect growth, development and quality of life in children. Long-term damage in children with JA rarely arises from overly aggressive therapy, but rather from an overly conservative and cautious approach in the early stages of the disease. As more potential therapeutic agents for JA become available, the physician must become skilled in viewing the data with a critical eye with regard to safety and efficacy in the paediatric population. The following review discusses the prognosis and management of JA, with a focus on new emerging agents for the treatment of this disease.