Overview
A pediatric rheumatologist diagnoses and treats children with disorders including juvenile idiopathic arthritis (formerly known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis), systemic lupus, dermatomyositis, scleroderma, vasculitis, and autoinflammatory diseases including periodic fever syndromes. Rheumatologists are often considered master diagnosticians and can be consulted to help solve challenging clinical conundrums. Due to the systemic nature of rheumatic diseases, rheumatologists collaborate with almost all other subspecialties.
Pediatric rheumatologists primarily function in the outpatient setting, but may also care for or consult on hospitalized patients. Due to the chronic and often complex nature of the rheumatic disorders, the specialist has the opportunity to form close long term relationships with patients and families. In many cases, care is provided in concert with other medical subspecialists and support staff with the rheumatologist serving as the overall coordinating physician.