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OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical-epidemiological profile of pediatric patients seen via inter-consultation in a pediatric rheumatology (PR) outpatient clinic. METHODS: Cross-sectional and observational study that analyzed the medical records of patients seen in the form of inter-consultations in a PR outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital for 14 months. Epidemiological, clinical history and laboratory tests data were collected and descriptive statistics were performed. RESULTS: we included 37 patients, 27 (73%) females and 10 (27%) males, with a median age of 12.4 years (min: 1.3 max: 15.9). After several complementary exams, the patients were referred by 13 different specialties, with a predominance of pediatric dermatology. In the first consultation with a pediatric rheumatologist, the main complaints were arthralgia (51.3%), skin blemishes (32.4%) and skin rash (29.7%). The period between symptoms onset and the consultation ranged between 16 and 4,554 days, with a median of 730 days. Twenty (54.1%) patients had the exclusion of a rheumatological disease, three (8.1%) lost follow-up and 14 (37.8%) were diagnosed with rheumatological diseases, the most common being linear scleroderma (28, 6%), juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (28.6%), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (14.3%) and juvenile dermatomyositis (14.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The main complaints of patients referred to PR were arthralgia and skin lesions, with a long period of symptom evolution, in addition to a wide age range and the predominant role of female patients. In addition, prior to the pediatric rheumatologist evaluation, the patients consulted several specialties and were exposed to several complementary exams. |
