It is not as severe as RA, but can affect any joint. Sometimes only a single joint of the hand is affected. PA has no known cause, but environmental, genetics, and a breakdown of the immune system is suspected. Symptoms , like in RA, include morning stiffness, joint swelling, redness, and pain. Sometimes the fingers and toes can swell to resemble sausage.
Nails can separate from the fingers and toes.
Fever, fatigue, and a general flu like feeling can occur. Juvenile Arthritis is a type of disease that develops before the age of 16. Other types of arthritis than can affect children are Stills disease, lupus, vasculitis, dematomyositis, and scleroderma. Polyvarticular affects girls more than boys while systemic affects boys more than girls. No known reason for JRA has been discovered, but like some of the other arthritic diseases, environmental, genetics, and an immune system breakdown are suspected.