THE STUDY EVALUATED THE IMPACT OF REFRACTORY JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS (JIA) AND INTERFERENCE OF ANTIRHEUMATIC THERAPY ON PHYSICAL STATURE AND GROWTH AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN. WE OBSERVED 133 PATIENTS WITH JIA WITH AGE FROM 4.6 TO 18 YEARS. WE ASSESSED PATIENTS' PHYSICAL STATURE (DOCUMENTING HEIGHT AND WEIGHT) AND FURTHER GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT STARING FROM BIRTH, BEFORE THE ONSET OF JIA, AT THE FIRST YEAR FROM THE ONSET OF THE DISB EASE AND LATER ON. PHYSICAL RETARDATION WAS MARKED IN ALL CHILDREN IN THE FIRST YEAR FROM THE ONSET OF JIA. SYSTEMIC JIA, WHICH IS KNOWN FOR HIGH ACTIVITY AND POLYARTICULAR OR GENERALIZED JOINT LESION, WAS LINKED TO SIGNIFICANT PHYSICAL RETARDATION IN ALL CHILDREN WITH SYSBTEMIC JIA. LONGBTERM GLUCOCORTICOID ADMINISTRATION, EVEN AT LOW DOSES, ACCENTUATED THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF JIA ON GROWTH RESULTING IN MARKED GROWTH DELAY OR ITS' TOTAL ARREST. WE HAVE ELABORATED RISK FACTORS FOR SHORT STATURE IN CHILDREN WITH JIA, WHICH SUGGEST THERAPY GUIDELINES, PRESENTED IN THIS ARTICLE.

KEY WORDS: JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS, СHILDREN.