DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF TRANSIENT SYNOVITIS OF THE HIP IN CHILDREN

Between 1984 to 1991 55 children (mean age 7,0 years) were observed wi th a painful effusion of the hip examined by ultrasound. Children with radiologically diagnosed hip diseases were excluded. In 47 cases we f ound a transient synovitis of the hip which started at an average inte rval of 4 days in mean before admission. All children were reexamined 6 weeks after the end of treatment sonographicly and clinicaly, 4 of t hose revealing incipient Perthes diseases. The primary sonographic rig ht/left difference in amount of effusion (mean) was 4,0+/-1,7 mm and a fter aspiration 1,5+/-1,4 mm with a significantly correlation with the amount of aspirated synovial fluid. The radiological findings for a d iagnosis of an effussion of the hip were not reliable. Beside the diag nostic signs of the appearance of the aspirated fluid the sonographic assisted aspiration of the hip is an important treatment mode to reduc e the intracapsular pressure and the pain of a hip effusion in childre n.