Transient Synovitis of the Hip Joint in Children

A fairly common cause of painful hips in children is the condition variousiy called transient synovitis, phantom hip, toxic synovitis, or transitory synovitis. Infection, trauma, or allergic conditions can be causes of them. The main symptom is most frequently pain of sudden onset in the region of the hip joint with a limp on the affected side. Limitation of motion, especially of abduction, internal rotation and extension seems to confirm the clinical diagnosis. The disease is of interest, not because it is a disabling condition, but because of the difficulty in differentiating it from more serious diseases of the hip, such as tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, or Legg-Perthe's disease. Fifty seven cases of the transient synovitis of the hips were treated and reported on their clinical states and results as follows; 1. The diagnostic criterias were pain, limping, limitation of motion, W.B.C. count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and radiological findings. 2. The treatment was conservative including bed rest, skin traction on the affected leg, non weight-bearing, antibiotics and sedatives. 3. 78.9% of the patients had improved symptoms and signs within three weeks of treatment. 4. Seven hips subsequently developed rheumatoid arthritis (3 cases), slipped upper femoral epiphysis (1 case), pyogenic arthritis (1 case), osteoarthritis (1 case) and snapping hip (1 case).