Shevchenko N. Clinico-pathogenetic characteristic of osteopenic syndrome in systemic diseases of connective tissue in children and adolescents

The competitive thesis is devoted to perfecting of methods of early detection of osteopenia in systemic diseases of a connective tissue (SDCT) for children and teenagers by investigation of bone mineral density (BMD) using monophotonic absorptiometry and metabolism of connective tissue organic components and mineral metabolism. The clinical manifestations and character of complications in 246 patients with SDCT and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), including BMD in 85 patients are studied. It has been found that in most patients (81,55%) there occur certain complications including osteopenia. The BMD decrease has been observed in 56,34% of the patients at all nosologic forms, more frequently in the distal region of a radial bone and in girls. The incidence rate and the level of osteopenia increase with the increase in the disease duration and glucocorticoids administration, in severe clinical cases, in cases of heavy organic lesions. Is has been shown, that osteopenia is very likely a pathogenetically caused disorder in SDCT and in RA in teen-agers. The elaborated highly informative algorithm for complications prognosis, including osteopenia, makes it possible to predict the probability of side effects of the therapy and to make timely corrections in the combined treatment of patients with SDCT. The obtained data are being applied in the practice of establishments of public health services. The region of applying is pediatrics and rheumatology.