Ultrasonic diagnosis of transitory synovitis of the hip joint in children

The most common cause of a limp in childhood is transitory synovitis of the hip. At the Paediatric Surgery Clinic in Novi Sad, in the period from 1989 to 1991, 58 children were treated for hip transitory synovitis and the diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasonic finding of the exudate in the joint. The ultrasonic investigation of the hips was performed by using Siemens and Kretz scanners equipped with 5 MHz linear or sector transducers. The approach to the hip was frontal and the lower extremity has been in the neutral position. The distance between the femoral neck and the joint capsule was verified according to the Adam's morphometric procedure. The measured pathological values were from 7 mm to 14 mm (normal values are from 2 mm to 4 mm). In the routine transitory synovitis diagnosis, real-time arthrosonography of the hip shows high sensitivity, accuracy and selective values compared to other diagnostic procedures.