Tarsitis as an initial manifestation of juvenile spondyloarthropathy

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of tarsitis as one of the first symptoms of juvenile spondyloarthropathy (JSpA) and to analyze whether patients with tarsitis at onset differ from those without it.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed, from January 1996 to September 2007, at a paediatric rheumatology unit of a tertiary university hospital.

Results: Tarsitis was detected in one-third of the children diagnosed with JSpA. They had fever and received antibiotics due to a suspected infection more frequently than those without tarsitis. Inflammatory low back pain was extremely unusual among these patients.

Conclusion: There were some differences between children diagnosed with JSpA initially affected with tarsitis and those without it. Patients with tarsitis as one of the first symptoms were often misdiagnosed as soft tissue infections.