Toxic Synovitis

Very interesting.
I'm sorry I can't really help you figure this out. But I looked up the terms and wonder now, if this is what our son had several years ago. It came out of the blue, only instead of after a head cold, he was recovering from a stomach bug (vomiting). We were out of town and not near our regular doctor. Our son was about 5 (it's been awhile so I can't remember for sure) and just started complaining that he couldn't walk. He could, carefully, just not without a lot of pain. Only his complaint was with his legs below the knees (the calf area). We thought cramps or growing pains, but it wasn't. No pain unless he tried to walk. When nothing changed, we took him to the ER and they did all sorts of blood work, but found nothing. After spending hours at the ER (about 36 hours into the whole thing) he was thirsty so I got him a powerade from the hospital machine. He drank about half and then his legs were FINE! It was bizarre. Even his bloodwork didn't show his electrolytes being off kilter. Never had another problem, but gosh did it scare us! But he literally couldn't/wouldn't walk - my husband carried him (and my husband is not a "coddler"). This maybe sheds a little light on what went on with my son (toxic synovitis?). Odd though, that the ER docs didn't mention it to us...

Maybe your son just sprained something in his foot. I've done that myself, on the outside edge. Just stepping on something unevenly could do it... rest and ibuprofin worked for me with that. Good luck. Just try to relax, mom. And listen to your son's cues. If there is something serious going on, he will let you know... and you will know too.
Hope he's better soon!

Hi, T.. You are absolutely right -- it does take more tests to make such a diagnosis. That's probably what the doctor meeant when she told you to take him back if the problem didn't resolve itself quickly. However, it's probably not going to be toxic synovitis because he's hurting in his foot, not his hip.

In layman's terms, toxic synovitis is an inflammation in the hip joint. Fluid builds up due to some kind of injury, and it could be infected. That's why it hurts, because the soft tissue that makes up the bone ends in the hip joint doesn't have a lot of room to expand if it's swollen. But again, it doesn't sound like his hip hurts, just his foot. The doc will most likely rule that out anyway.

If the cut is healed and it doesn't appear to have an infection still lingering under the healed scar, you might have to consider the possibility that he has bruised or fractured the underlying bone. How did he get the cut on his toe? If he whacked his foot against something and the cut was the only obvious result, he could still have underlying injuries such as a broken metatarsal or tarsal (the bones of the feet that come after the toes), or possibly a little joint damage in that area. It sounds like he may have whacked the foot if the side of it is hurting. Sounds similar to a soccer injury. Is it the side where the little toe is, or the instep? That will make a difference, of course, in what kind of underlying structure may have gotten injured.

Whatever else the doctor does when you bring him back to her, I would insist on a foot X-ray. At least you can rule out any greenstick fractures (mild fractures that do not completely break the bone), which will be a load off your mind.

I hope the little guy gets over the foot pain very soon and that everyone will feel absolutely happy, healthy and active.

Peace,
Syl

ASK THR DOC TO EXPLAN IT TO YOU IN PLAN ENGLISH AND DO NOT LEAVE THE OFFICE UNTIL YOU TOTALLY UNDERSTAND. tHAT IS WHAT YOU ARE PAYING HIM TO DO. i TELL THE MID EAST dOCS THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THEM BECAUSE BECAUSE OF THEIR THICK ACCENT

hi my 2 year old had that same thing when she was 1 1/2 years and it was presented after she had gotten a real bad cold I took her to the er since I was freaking out they did an x-ray everything was ok. and it went away mysterious the same way it came at around 2 weeks. they said it was the cold virus that accumulates in the joints. it is very common in small children. don't worry and pray to the lord. blessings

According to my doctor, Toxic or Transient Synovitus, can occur in the hip, the knee or the ankle, and he has even heard that it could theoretically happen in the wrist, but he's never heard of a case of it. My son is getting over an ear infection and he woke up this morning complaining of ankle pain and is walking on his tiptoes with a limp, though he's not in severe discomfort. I took him to the doctor and his diagnosis seemed to make a lot of sense. In short, the fact that it's not in the hip doesn't rule out Toxic/Transient Synovitus.

Synovial fluid is in sacks around our joints. I assume his synovial sack has an infection--an educated guess.

My daughter had a mysterios limp and I had all sort of test done from xrays to labs and her Dr told me it was childhood aurthritis and would go away by the time she is 5, but it comes and goes and we can give her motrin, but she never complained and plays just like others when it flares up.