A child complaining of a joint pain or swelling is quite uncommon. But, as the presentations have a variety of underlying benign and severe conditions, it is important to conduct the detailed examination of such uncommon presentation. The following article provides a brief outline about the evaluation joint pain and swelling in children. Joint pain and swelling are common indications of many musculoskeletal and rheumatologic disorders.
The assessment of a child with joint pain and/or swelling needs to differentiate between conditions of varying severity, especially those that require urgent medical intervention. The evaluation of such presentations should incorporate. Detailed history Assessment of severity Differential diagnosis Physical examination Imaging studies The child usually presents with the obvious complaint of joint pain or swelling. Parents tend to think that, trauma might…
