Single center: Rare rheumatic diseases in childhood
Children and adolescents can also develop rheumatism. Since 1990, children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases have been continuously cared for in one of the three largest national pediatric and adolescent rheumatology outpatient clinics at the MHH Children's Hospital. The diseases we treat include juvenile idiopathic arthritis, the scientific name for pediatric rheumatism, but also the even rarer collagenoses such as systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile dermatomyositis or mixed collagenoses or autoinflammatory diseases such as familial Mediterranean fever or chronic non-bacterial osteitis.We also see children and adolescents with other arthritides, such as reactive arthritis or Lyme arthritis, with joint pain or chronic regional pain amplification syndromes.
Competencies of the individual center:
Patient care
We offer the entire spectrum of outpatient pediatric rheumatology care in cooperation with pediatric radiology for imaging, orthopaedics, e.g. in a joint consultation and for joint injections, the eye clinic, especially for iritis (uveitis) and other specialist disciplines for the treatment of other organs (e.g. pediatric nephrology, gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, haemostaseology). There is also the option of inpatient diagnosis and treatment. The interdisciplinary treatment team includes physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, a social worker and a psychologist.
Studies
Participation in national and international observational treatment studies such as the national core documentation of rheumatic diseases and the ICON inception cohort study on juvenile idiopathic arthritis of the German Rheumatism Research Centre in Berlin, the German Biologics Registry BIKER and studies of the Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization PRINTO.
Teaching
For many years, we have offered students the opportunity to complete their 2-week block internship in pediatric rheumatology. There has also been a lecture for students on juvenile idiopathic arthritis for many years.
Research
Participation in clinical research studies such as those mentioned under Studies, currently the PRINTO study on the evidence-based revision of the ILAR criteria for juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
