24th February 2025

Investigation of JIA

JIA is a clinical diagnosis, though laboratory investigations in a suspected case would typically include blood tests for FBC (anaemia of chronic disease, inflammation/ infection), CRP and ESR (though, unlike RA, in children these markers do not tend to correlate with disease activity and grossly raised counts should make you consider malignancy) and auto-antibodies including ANA, RF, anti-CCP and ferritin levels. X-rays and ultrasound can qualify joint inflammation and erosion.