Overlapping connective tissue diseases in children

Abstract

Of 18 children with different connective tissue diseases four were found to have overlaps. Two presented features of SLE and PSS or SLE and PM and 2 had features of SLE, PSS and JRA. In two of them antiribonucleoprotein antibodies were detected by radical immunodiffusion. But these antibodies were also detected in a few children suffering from a single connective tissue disease. On the other hand, the six children with anti-RNP were not characterized by a particular clinical picture or a better prognosis; when compared to adults, no significant difference could be observed except that the Raynaud phenomenon, sausage fingers and myositis seemed less frequent in childhood. It may be concluded that combinations of connective tissue disease can occur in children but anti-RNP does not appear as a good biological marker.

An uncommon overlap of two common rheumatological disorders

“…2 KD is also the commonest aetiology of acquired heart disease in children in the developed world including Japan, the United States (US) and Europe. 3 While overlap of childhood SLE with other rheumatological disorders (such as scleroderma and juvenile idiopathic arthritis) has been described, 4–6 it is extremely unusual in the context of KD. 7–9 We report two children who had such an overlap.…”