Transient synovitis in toddlers is a common and temporary condition in toddlers and children that causes hip pain and limping.
Transient synovitis often occurs in toddlers and children between the ages of 3 to 10 years old and it often follows a viral illness such as a stomach bug or cold virus.
The transient synovitis condition is often self limiting and resolves within a week or two weeks with supportive care.
It rarely causes any long term problems.
Transient synovitis is also called irritable hip and toxic synovitis.
The symptoms of transient synovitis include hip pain that may be mild initially and get worse over a few days or the hip pain may also have a sudden onset.
Other symptoms of transient synovitis are limping or refusal to walk, pain in the knee area or thigh, pain with movement of the hip joint and some children with transient synovitis may also adopt a position to relieve pain, like lying on their back with the affected leg bent and turned out.
The exact cause of transient synovitis is not known, although it often occurs after a viral infection, which suggests that the body's immune response to the virus might play a role in inflammation and some cases of transient synovitis may be linked to a previous injury.
Doctors will often diagnose transient synovitis based on the child's symptoms, through a physical examination and by ruling out other conditions like septic arthritis, which requires immediate treatment and the doctor might order blood tests or X-rays to help rule out other potential causes and assess the level of inflammation and in some cases, fluid from the hip joint may be collected and analyzed to rule out infection.