Polyarteritis Nodosa in Older Children

Abstract

Polyarteritis in the older child is thought to be a rare disease. This study describes 11 children, 3 to 12 years of age, with polyarteritis seen over a five-year period. Fever, abdominal pain, hypertension, and leukocytosis were found in almost all. Renal disease occurred in eight. Examination of muscle, gut, or kidney tissue was an effective means of diagnosis. The pathological changes were the same as those seen in adults. There seemed to be an association between polyarteritis and group A streptococcal infection. Ten patients had a salutary response to high-dose prednisone administration.