Consensus clinical approach for a newly diagnosed systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis among members of the pediatric rheumatology Arab group

BACKGROUND: Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is a diagnosis of exclusion. The complex nature and clinical variety of the disease, as well as the vast clinical variation of disease presentation, may lead to difficulties in disease detection and subsequent delays in treatment. AIM: To provide a consensus guidance on the management of newly diagnosed sJIA patients among pediatric rheumatologists in Arab countries. METHODS: This work was conducted in two phases. The first phase utilized an electronic survey sent through an email invitation to all pediatric rheumatologists in Arab countries. In the second phase, a Task Force of ten expert pediatric rheumatologists from Arab countries met through a series of virtual meetings. Results obtained in phase one were prioritized using a nominal group and Delphi-like techniques in phase two. RESULTS: Seven overarching principles and a set of recommendations were approved by the Task Force to form the final consensus. CONCLUSION: This is the first consensus on a clinical approach for pediatric rheumatic diseases among Arab pediatric rheumatologists. It is presented as a guidance on the clinical approach to sJIA that requires further evidence, and future updates are anticipated.