Juvenile-Versus Adult-Onset Spondyloarthritis: Similar, but Different

Abstract

This article provides an overview of juvenile spondyloarthritis and important differences in the classification criteria, clinical presentation, outcomes, and pathology in juvenile versus adult-onset disease. Key differences in classification criteria between children and adults with spondyloarthritis are important to understand, as they can make transition from pediatric to adult care challenging. MRI and ultrasonography are increasingly relied on for the assessment of adult-onset disease activity and change over time in the pediatric population. The unique features of the maturing axial and peripheral skeleton are described for each modality, as they are key to understand for accurate interpretation of pathology in the pediatric population.

Keywords: Enthesitis-related arthritis; Imaging; Juvenile spondyloarthritis; MRI; Psoriatic arthritis; Ultrasonography.