Rheumatic and connective tissue diseases in children at Santiago, Chile Enfermedades reumáticas y del tejido conectivo en niños de Santiago, Chile

Abstract

A collaborative epicemiclogical study on pediatric rheumetic and connective tissue diseases that were identified in patients aged 15 years or less [children] along year 1996 was carried with participet on of all the corresponding reference centers at metropoliten Santiago, Chile, which covered a children's population of about 57 17 inhapitants. By that year a total of 2807 pediatric reumatologic consultations were recorced., ∠78 [17%] were first visits, among which 135 new cases of connective tissue disecse were identified, an estimated incidence rate of 8,6 cases per 100 000. The most frequent connective tissue disease was juvenie rheumatoid arthritis whose estimated incidence rate was 5,6 cases per 100 000.