toxic synovitis / limping kiddo

[♥ms.pacman♥]

DS (5yo) started complaining his leg hurt when he walks a few days ago, on and off. Started randomly getting worse yesterday afternoon (to the point of DS majorly limping whenever he walked and saying he didn't want to walk up stairs). So we cancelled our road trip for the weekend and at the last minute yesterday DH took him to the Dr who examined it and had them go get it x-rayed. We were somewhat freaked out since we worried he somehow broke something or was developing some sort of bone infection. Anyway, x-ray came out okay, nothing broken...so ped said while there are a multitude of possibilities, of all it is likely "toxic synovitis"..especially given about a week ago he had some congestion and was complaining of ear pain, which could have been an ear infection.

Anyway, any BTDT with any of this? talk me down and assure me it's not something serious like septic arthritis, tumor, or some bone infection (eek). Dr mainly prescribed Motrin for the inflammation and said to just watch out for fever or pain getting much worse (if so to take to kids ER). DS seemed to be doing much better this morning (said his leg didn't hurt, was running around) but then on and off throughout the day could still see he was limping here and there. The motrin seems to be helping a lot..i hope that it is not just masking the pain and it is reducing the inflammation.

[jren]

Could be right. We've had several kids in the neighborhood get this after colds and it was treated the same way, went away on it's own. The pain was usually in the upper leg, I think? For comparison, my DS had a bone infection, but his symptoms only came and went really on the first day. After the first day, he completely lost mobility and didn't regain it for several weeks (once antibiotics were started). Also, he was never sick. Just woke one morning and wouldn't put pressure on his leg. Eventually he couldn't straighten out his ankle and his foot curved in, even in his sleep. They did an MRI after a week to confirm. It took several months of antibiotics to clear up, but is fine now. His was in his lower leg, which is apparently common for bone infection. Wasn't due to an injury. It was just a freak thing.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Could be right. We've had several kids in the neighborhood get this after colds and it was treated the same way, went away on it's own. The pain was usually in the upper leg, I think?

thanks for the reply, makes me feel better! yes, in the upper leg/hip area. he would say the same leg hurt him that area, but it was rather off and on.

[Tondi G]

I have never heard of "toxic synovitis before but my god daughter went through a CRAZY experience a year ago almost exactly. She had a cold that turned into a fever and an ear infection where her ear drum ruptured. The day she started complaining of the ear hurting, she also said her foot hurt and started limping... overnight she couldn't even walk to the bathroom (she crawled down the hallway). The following morning they went to an urgent care clinic and the doc took one look at her and told them to go to the ER immediately. It turned out she had Group A strep (that could have turned into a flesh eating type of situation, but never did). She ended up staying in the hospital for a week and on a number of different IV antibiotics till they found the one that it would respond to. It was so strange ... how a cold and ear infection would somehow lead to an infection in her foot. It took quite a while for her to heal. She was on crutches/walker for a few months.

Hope your little guy is feeling better soon.

[trentsmom]

I had toxic synovitis as a child. It was in my hip and very painful - enough so that I would wake up my parents and tell them I was in pain. This was in the '70s, so the course of treatment then was a week in the hospital with my leg in traction. And then I wasn't allowed to put any weight on my leg for several weeks. I was four, so I can't remember if I had a cold first, but I doubt it since it was summertime. Anyway, no lingering effects. And I'm glad to hear that it is now treated differently. I hope your son's leg pain goes away quickly.

[NewfieNat]

When my daugther had these symptoms in 2008 they first brushed us off after xray was normal. Then she got a fever and it became an emergency. She had a bone scan, MRI, and synovial fluid aspiration. They gave us many scary options as to what it could be (many you mentioned above). It turned out to be juvenile arthritis, which although chronic, was such a relief.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thank you everyone. and wow, a week in the hospital with leg in traction..how awful! i definitely count my blessings kiddos were born in this day and age.

luckily DS's leg seems to be improving. he no longer complains of pain at all, and he only starts limping a little bit here and there once the Motrin has worn off. so it likely was toxic synovitis relating to a cold/EI. am so thankful...on Friday DH started really freaking out that could be some serious infection, esp after googling the symptoms ( Googling medical symptoms in kiddos is seriously the worst! but what else can you do..). thankfully DS (who is rather anxious kiddo) took it like a champ and didn't seem to be bothered by having to go to Dr, get x-rays etc.