Subcutaneous Rheumatoid Nodules

SUMMARY We describe seven children with sub- cutaneous rheumatoid nodules who had no clinical evidence of rheumatoid arthritis. Only one girl was seropositive for antinuclear factors and had a slightly raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Clinical aspects, risks for developing rheumatoid arthritis, and treatment of this entity are discussed. Subcutaneous tumours that histologically resemble rheumatoid nodules are rarely encountered in healthy children-that is, those without evidence of arthritis. Unfamiliarity with these lesions often gives rise to uncertainty concerning the subsequent- possible-occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis and the treatment of the frequently appearing recur- rences. In this article we review our own data and compare it with results found in the literature. undistinguishable from the in adults with All invited to up varied from 6 to 17 years