ABSTRACT
Pediatric rheumatic diseases (PRDs) are chronic multisystem disorders that involve acute
and chronic tissue inflammation of the musculoskeletal system, blood vessels, and skin.
Prevalence estimates are that between 160,000 and 190,000 children in the United States have a
rheumatic disease. The most common PRD is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), accounting
for between 75% and 83% of children with a rheumatic disease (Cassidy & Petty, 1995).
