Pediatrics in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases

Pediatrics in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Second Edition, provides a good starting point for physicians and scientists new to the field and for anyone looking for the most up-to-date summary of a particular disease. While many questions are answered, many more are raised for which we do not yet have the answers. The book provides inspiration to readers conducting their own research and helps to answer their questions.

The care of children with systemic autoimmune diseases is moving forward at a rapid pace. The systemic autoimmune diseases of childhood have always represented a special problem for the physicians and scientists who care for the affected children and study their diseases. Some conditions, such as Kawasaki disease, are virtually unique to childhood, while systemic lupus erythematosus, progressive systemic sclerosis, and juvenile onset spondyloarthropathies may be thought of as the early onset of the same disease which is seen in adults. The autoinflammatory disorders appear to be of clear genetic origin, accounting for their frequent discovery in childhood. For many other conditions, such as juvenile dermatomyositis, the relationship between the conditions seen in children and that seen in adults is less certain. This book explores these phenomena, giving users a foundation on which to understand certain diseases.