What are the potential long-term complications of JIA that I should monitor in my patients?

Potential long-term complications of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) to monitor include:

• Joint damage and deformities: Chronic inflammation can lead to joint erosion, growth disturbances, and permanent deformities, impacting function and mobility ¹ (Boros and Whitehead, 2010).
• Ocular complications: Chronic anterior uveitis is a significant risk, potentially causing vision loss if not detected and treated early ¹ (Quartier et al., 2025).
• Growth abnormalities: Both localised limb length discrepancies and overall growth retardation may occur due to disease activity or corticosteroid use ¹ (Boros and Whitehead, 2010).
• Systemic complications: In systemic JIA, there is risk of macrophage activation syndrome, a life-threatening hyperinflammatory state, and potential organ involvement including liver and heart ¹ (Quartier et al., 2025).
• Increased risk of comorbid autoimmune conditions: There is emerging evidence of associations with other autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, which may complicate management (Szabłowski et al., 2022).
• Psychosocial impact: Chronic disease burden can affect mental health and quality of life, necessitating holistic monitoring ¹.

Regular multidisciplinary follow-up is essential to detect and manage these complications early, including ophthalmologic screening, growth monitoring, and assessment for systemic features ¹ (Quartier et al., 2025).