Toxic synovitis is a condition affecting children that causes hip pain and limping.
Synovitis - toxic; Transient synovitis
Toxic synovitis occurs in children before puberty. It usually affects children from 3 to 10 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 may include:
Aside from the hip discomfort, the child does not usually appear ill.
Treatment often includes limiting activity to make the child more comfortable. But, there is no danger with normal activities. The health care provider may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce pain.
Lawrence Pollack is an Orthopedics doctor in York, Pennsylvania. Dr. Pollack has been practicing medicine for over 35 years and is rated as an Advanced doctor by MediFind in the treatment of Toxic Synovitis. He is also highly rated in 5 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Tendinitis, Bursitis, Tenosynovitis, and Osteoarthritis.
Saeed Zaidi is an Internal Medicine doctor in Frederick, Maryland. Dr. Zaidi has been practicing medicine for over 39 years and is rated as an Advanced doctor by MediFind in the treatment of Toxic Synovitis. He is also highly rated in 5 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Toxic Synovitis, High Cholesterol, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), and IgA Nephropathy. Dr. Zaidi is currently accepting new patients.
Derek Kram is an Orthopedics doctor in Silver Spring, Maryland. Dr. Kram has been practicing medicine for over 32 years and is rated as an Advanced doctor by MediFind in the treatment of Toxic Synovitis. He is also highly rated in 1 other condition, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Toxic Synovitis, Osteoarthritis, Frozen Shoulder, Rhizarthrosis, and Hip Replacement.
The hip pain goes away within 7 to 10 days.
Toxic synovitis goes away on its own. There are no expected long-term complications.
Contact your child's provider for an appointment if:
Published Date: July 28, 2021
Published By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Sankar 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. Evaluation of children with rheumatologic complaints. In: Hochberg MC, Gravallese EM, Silman AJ, Smolen JS, Weinblatt ME, Weisman MH, eds. Rheumatology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 105.