University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview provides exceptional care to children with rheumatic diseases, ranging from common forms of juvenile arthritis to diseases that affect multiple systems of the body.

More than 80 conditions can be associated with arthritis symptoms. We offer hope, comfort and the latest innovative treatments to those who are experiencing any one (or more) of them.

Our goal is to control the process that is going on in our young patients’ bodies so that they are healthy and functional. We aim to get a treatment plan in place that provides optimal control of our patients’ rheumatic condition quickly — so they can lead as normal lives as possible, as soon as possible.

Each child referred to the hospital’s arthritis/rheumatology program is seen by a pediatrician and nurse specializing in the evaluation and care of children with rheumatic diseases.

We also can coordinate visits with consultants in other pediatric medical specialties, pediatric physical and occupational therapy, pediatric ophthalmology, pediatric dermatology and pediatric orthopaedics.

Conditions We Treat

• Juvenile Arthritis (JIA)
  -Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)
  -Pauciarticular-onset JRA
  -Polyarticular-onset JRA
  -Systemic-onset JRA
• Spondyloarthropathy (Enthesitis-Arthritis) Syndromes
  -SEA Syndrome
  -Ankylosing Spondylitis
  -Arthritis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  -Reactive Arthritis/Reiter's Syndrome
  -Psoriatic Arthritis
• Other Rheumatic Diseases
  -Behcet's Disease
  -Dermatomyositis
  -Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
  -Sjogren's Syndrome
  -Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
  -Systemic Scleroderma
  -Systemic Vasculitis
• Infection-Related Arthritis
  -Lyme Arthritis
  -Post-Infectious Arthritis
  -Viral Arthritis

Treatments We Offer

• Oral medication therapy
• Full range of traditional anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive therapies
• Innovative biologic response modifiers (e.g., adalimumab [Humira], etanercept [Enbrel], anakinra [Kineret], infliximab [Remicade])
• Intraarticular steroids (joint injections)
• Subcutaneous injections (including biologic response modifiers)
• Intravenous medications (including intravenous immunoglobulins, biologic response modifiers, steroids, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide)
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy

Research Activities

The University of Minnesota continues to explore innovative ways for evaluating, diagnosing, and treating rheumatic diseases and conditions.

Our clinical investigations are including so-called “biologic” medications, which treat rheumatic conditions by activating and using chemicals that the body already produces.

These new medications have been shown to be successful in targeting the underlying mechanisms of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and lupus—without the side effects that often accompany more traditional anti-inflammatory therapies.

We are currently enrolling interested patients into two different studies, one involving an investigational drug (Humira) for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and the other involving evaluation of dermatomyositis. For more information, contact Dr. Richard Vehe at 612-626-4598.