Cyclophosphamide therapy for severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

A child with severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) responded rapidly and dramatically for a period of six months to treatment with low dose cyclophosphamide. The treatment of JRA with immunosuppressive drugs has not been described in the literature. Cyclophosphamide and other immunosuppressants have been used for adult rheumatoid arthritis with varying success. The rapid and sustained improvement in this case is unusual.