BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuToxic synovitisSynovitis - toxic; Transient synovitisToxic synovitis is a condition affecting children that causes hip pain and limping.Hip painHip pain involves any pain in or around the hip joint. You may not feel pain from your hip directly over the hip area. You may feel it in your groi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Causes Toxic synovitis occurs in children before puberty. It usually affects children from 2 to 12 years old. It is a type of inflammation of the hip. Its cause is not known. Boys are affected more often than girls. It can also occur after a common cold or viral infection. Symptoms Symptoms may include:Hip pain (on one side only) Limp Thigh pain, in front and toward the middle of the thigh Knee pain Low-grade fever, less than 101°F (38.33°C) Child only walking on toes and refusing to walk normallyAside from the hip discomfort, the child does not usually appear ill. Exams and Tests Toxic synovitis is diagnosed when other more serious conditions have been ruled out, such as:Septic hip (infection of the hip) Septic hipSeptic arthritis is inflammation of a joint due to a bacterial or fungal infection. Septic arthritis that is due to the bacteria that cause gonorrhe...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (separation of the ball of the hip joint from the thigh bone, or femur) Slipped capital femoral epiphysisA slipped capital femoral epiphysis is a separation of the ball of the hip joint from the thigh bone (femur) at the upper growing end (growth plate) ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (disorder that occurs when the ball of the thigh bone in the hip does not get enough blood, causing the bone to die)Legg-Calve-Perthes diseaseLegg-Calve-Perthes disease occurs when the ball of the thigh bone in the hip does not get enough blood, causing the bone to die.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tests used to diagnose toxic synovitis include:Ultrasound of the hip UltrasoundUltrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to make images of organs and structures inside the body.Read Article Now Book Mark Article X-ray of the hip X-rayX-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. An x-ray machine sends individual x-ray waves through the body. The images...Read Article Now Book Mark Article ESR ESRESR stands for erythrocyte sedimentation rate. It is commonly called a "sed rate. "It is a test that indirectly measures the level of certain protei...Read Article Now Book Mark Article C-reactive protein (CRP) C-reactive proteinC-reactive protein (CRP) is produced by the liver. The level of CRP rises when there is inflammation in the body. It is one of a group of proteins,...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Complete blood count (CBC)Complete blood countA complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Other tests that may be done to rule out other causes of hip pain:Aspiration of fluid from the hip joint AspirationAspiration means to draw in or out using a sucking motion. It has two meanings:Breathing in a foreign object (for example, sucking food into the air...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Bone scan Bone scanA bone scan is an imaging test used to diagnose bone diseases and find out how severe they are.Read Article Now Book Mark Article MRI Treatment Treatment often includes limiting activity to make the child more comfortable. But, there is no danger with normal activities. Your child's health care provider may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce pain. Outlook (Prognosis) The hip pain goes away within 7 to 10 days. Possible Complications Toxic synovitis goes away on its own. There are no expected long-term complications. When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your child's provider for an appointment if:Your child has unexplained hip pain or a limp, with or without a fever Your child has been diagnosed with toxic synovitis and the hip pain lasts for longer than 10 days, the pain gets worse, or a high fever developsOpen ReferencesReferencesSankar WN, Winell JJ, Horn BD, Wells L. The hip. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 698.Singer NG, Onel KB. Evaluation of children with rheumatologic complaints. In: Hochberg MC, Gravallese EM, Smolen JS, van der Heijde D, Weinblatt ME, Weisman MH, eds. Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 103.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information Hip pain(Symptoms)Arthritis(Condition)Fever(Symptoms)Osteoarthritis - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 8/30/2023 Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Toxic synovitisSynovitis - toxic; Transient synovitisToxic synovitis is a condition affecting children that causes hip pain and limping.Hip painHip pain involves any pain in or around the hip joint. You may not feel pain from your hip directly over the hip area. You may feel it in your groi...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Causes Toxic synovitis occurs in children before puberty. It usually affects children from 2 to 12 years old. It is a type of inflammation of the hip. Its cause is not known. Boys are affected more often than girls. It can also occur after a common cold or viral infection. Symptoms Symptoms may include:Hip pain (on one side only) Limp Thigh pain, in front and toward the middle of the thigh Knee pain Low-grade fever, less than 101°F (38.33°C) Child only walking on toes and refusing to walk normallyAside from the hip discomfort, the child does not usually appear ill. Exams and Tests Toxic synovitis is diagnosed when other more serious conditions have been ruled out, such as:Septic hip (infection of the hip) Septic hipSeptic arthritis is inflammation of a joint due to a bacterial or fungal infection. Septic arthritis that is due to the bacteria that cause gonorrhe...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (separation of the ball of the hip joint from the thigh bone, or femur) Slipped capital femoral epiphysisA slipped capital femoral epiphysis is a separation of the ball of the hip joint from the thigh bone (femur) at the upper growing end (growth plate) ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (disorder that occurs when the ball of the thigh bone in the hip does not get enough blood, causing the bone to die)Legg-Calve-Perthes diseaseLegg-Calve-Perthes disease occurs when the ball of the thigh bone in the hip does not get enough blood, causing the bone to die.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tests used to diagnose toxic synovitis include:Ultrasound of the hip UltrasoundUltrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to make images of organs and structures inside the body.Read Article Now Book Mark Article X-ray of the hip X-rayX-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. An x-ray machine sends individual x-ray waves through the body. The images...Read Article Now Book Mark Article ESR ESRESR stands for erythrocyte sedimentation rate. It is commonly called a "sed rate. "It is a test that indirectly measures the level of certain protei...Read Article Now Book Mark Article C-reactive protein (CRP) C-reactive proteinC-reactive protein (CRP) is produced by the liver. The level of CRP rises when there is inflammation in the body. It is one of a group of proteins,...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Complete blood count (CBC)Complete blood countA complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Other tests that may be done to rule out other causes of hip pain:Aspiration of fluid from the hip joint AspirationAspiration means to draw in or out using a sucking motion. It has two meanings:Breathing in a foreign object (for example, sucking food into the air...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Bone scan Bone scanA bone scan is an imaging test used to diagnose bone diseases and find out how severe they are.Read Article Now Book Mark Article MRI Treatment Treatment often includes limiting activity to make the child more comfortable. But, there is no danger with normal activities. Your child's health care provider may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce pain. Outlook (Prognosis) The hip pain goes away within 7 to 10 days. Possible Complications Toxic synovitis goes away on its own. There are no expected long-term complications. When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your child's provider for an appointment if:Your child has unexplained hip pain or a limp, with or without a fever Your child has been diagnosed with toxic synovitis and the hip pain lasts for longer than 10 days, the pain gets worse, or a high fever developsOpen ReferencesReferencesSankar WN, Winell JJ, Horn BD, Wells L. The hip. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 698.Singer NG, Onel KB. Evaluation of children with rheumatologic complaints. In: Hochberg MC, Gravallese EM, Smolen JS, van der Heijde D, Weinblatt ME, Weisman MH, eds. Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 103.