To assess the efficacy of the intraarticular
steroid(IAS) injection in the management of
arthritis and the possible related complications in children with chronic
arthritis. We evaluated 11 children of chronic
arthritis (4 girls and 7 boys), age of onset ranged from 2-13.6 years, who had persistent
arthritis treated with IAS from November 1994 to June 1997. The results of
injections showed that the beneficial effect was noted within one day to 2 weeks without significant adverse reactions, remission exceeding 6 months was seen in 10 of 11 patients (in 14 of 18 joints). According to subgroups of chronic
arthritis, the remission rate of IAS injection in children with pauciarticular
arthritis reached 100%. A significant fall in
C-reactive protein (CRP) between pre- and post-IAS injection (p = 0.03), but there were no differences in
hemoglobin (Hb), white blood cells (WBCs), thrombocytes (Plts), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and
osteocalcin level. No injection-related complications were found. In conclusion, the IAS injection was an effective and safe treatment in children with chronic
arthritis with no obvious complications especially in pauciarticular
arthritis.