Incidence of arthritis in school children in Sharkeya Governorate

Abstract EN

Data on the incidence and prevalence of arthritis in children, even the more common ones, are incomplete.

Estimates are often based on the relative frequencies of childhood arthritis in comparison with those of adults.

Recently, a few published data have centered especially on the prevalence of rheumatic diseases in some Governorates in the delta region in Egypt namely.

Sharkeya and Dakahleya.

Aim of Work : This study was performed to detect the incidence of various types of arthritis in school children in Sharkeya Governorate and to study their social and geographic distribution that may play an important role in the etiology of different types of arthritis.

Material : The study was conducted on 20,000 primary and preparatory schools children from Zagazig City, surrounding cities and villages in Sharkeya Governorate.

Method : Children who were found to suffer from arthritis were subjected to complete history taking, general & locomotory examination, radiological examination and laboratory investigations.

Results: We studied 9,856 males and 10,144 females.

Their mean age was 11.32 + 3.73 years.

The total incidence of arthritis was 1.45 / 1000, higher in females (2.07 / 1000) than males (1.01 / 1000).

Rheumatic fever was the commonest type with an incidence of 0.65 / 1000.

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis was the second commonest type with an incidence of 0.4/1000.

Then came juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus with an incidence of 0.1 / 1000.

Last was juvenile ankylosing spondylitis (incidence 0.1 / 10000.

Other types of arthritis were septic arthritis, juvenile scleroderma, arthritis 2ry to hypermobility, reactive arthritis and salmonella.

All amounted to 0.05/1000 for each type.

Conclusion : Arthritis in Egyptian children is not more widespread than other countries except for rheumatic fever.