SYNOVIAL-FLUID D-LACTIC ACID IN BACTERIAL AND OTHER ACUTE JOINT EFFUSIONS

The use of D-lactic acid in differential diagnosis of bacterial arthri tis was evaluated in a prospective study. The concentration of D-lacti c acid was determined by the enzymatic UV-method in sixty-eight synovi al fluids (SF) and in twenty four sera from adult patients with acute knee effusion. High concentrations of D-lactic acid (>0.15 mmol/l) wer e measured most frequently in SF from bacterial arthritis, but also in individual culture-negative SF samples from patients with inflammator y culture-negative joint effusions with and without identified history of infections. Determination of SF D-lactic acid is not useful in dif ferential diagnosis of bacterial arthritis.