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Children
Special Issues
Rheumatic Diseases in Children and Adolescents: Present and Future Challenges
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Rheumatic Diseases in Children and Adolescents: Present and Future Challenges

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Allergy and Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 November 2025 | Viewed by 586

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Emanuela Del Giudice

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pediatric and Neonatology Unit, Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Polo Pontino, Latina, Italy
Interests: pediatric rheumatic diseases; autoimmune diseases; autoinflammatory diseases; translational research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pediatric rheumatology is a developing field, with important links to other clinical specialties. The importance of this linkage was also seen during the pandemic period with the study of the role of inflammation in COVID-19 disease and the emerging role of anti-rheumatic drugs for its treatment.

Rheumatic diseases in children and adolescents is a unique condition for children and adults, but require a different, age-related treatment approach. They are represented by several disorders, including autoimmune diseases, non-inflammatory pain syndromes, inflammatory disorders, and disorders of the innate immune system (e.g., autoinflammatory diseases). Early recognition and treatment of these conditions are fundamental for the management of these patients.

Moreover, recent advances in healthcare, evidence-based medicine, translational approaches, and greater focus on children’s needs have all significantly improved the prognosis and quality of life for children and their families.

The purpose of this Special Issue of Children is to collect contributions related to autoimmune and rheumatic disorders in children and adolescent.

We welcome reviews and research studies considering novel approaches and identifying gaps in current knowledge. Description of interesting case reports is also highly appreciated. This Special Issue is intended to encourage and promote multidisciplinary collaboration between laboratory and clinical researchers.

Dr. Emanuela Del Giudice
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pediatric rheumatic diseases
  • autoimmune diseases
  • autoinflammatory diseases
  • non-inflammatory pain syndromes
  • inflammation
  • multidisciplinary

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 396 KB  
Article
Revealing Microvascular Involvement in Pediatric Localized Scleroderma Through Nailfold Capillaroscopy
by Sema Nur Taşkın, Şeyda Doğantan, Esra Esen, Sümeyra Özdemir Çiçek, Ayşenur Paç Kısaarslan and Muammer Hakan Poyrazoğlu
Children 2025, 12(9), 1245; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12091245 - 17 Sep 2025
Viewed by 445
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Juvenile localized scleroderma (jLoS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder with skin and subcutaneous tissue involvement. Microvascular alterations are thought to contribute to its pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate microvascular alterations in children with jLoS using nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) and to [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Juvenile localized scleroderma (jLoS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder with skin and subcutaneous tissue involvement. Microvascular alterations are thought to contribute to its pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate microvascular alterations in children with jLoS using nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) and to compare the capillaroscopic findings between patients and healthy controls. Methods: A total of 13 children diagnosed with jLoS and 16 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Capillaroscopic assessment included capillary density, tortuosity, dilatation, disorganization, branching, and neoangiogenesis. Dilated and giant capillaries, hemorrhages, avascular areas, and capillary loss were evaluated. The Microangiopathy Evaluation Score (MES) was used to semi-quantitatively assess capillary loss, disorganization, and ramifications. Disease activity and damage were evaluated using the modified Localized Scleroderma Skin Severity Index (mLoSSI) and the Localized Scleroderma Damage Index (LoSDI), respectively. Functional status was measured via the 6 min walk test (6MWT). Results: Plaque morphea was the most common subtype (61.5%), and antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity was present in 53.8% of patients. Compared to controls, jLoS patients exhibited significantly more frequent capillaroscopic abnormalities, including increased tortuosity, crossing, dilatation, and neoangiogenesis (p < 0.05). Capillary density, length, arterial limb width, apical loop width, and disorganization scores were significantly higher, while intercapillary distance was lower in jLoS patients (p < 0.05). No avascular areas or giant capillaries were observed. MESs were similar between groups. Conclusions: NFC revealed significant microvascular alterations in jLoS patients, supporting its utility as a non-invasive tool for early vascular assessment in localized scleroderma. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rheumatic Diseases in Children and Adolescents: Present and Future Challenges)
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