Tibial torus and toddler's fractures misdiagnosed as transient synovitis: a case series

INTRODUCTION The high incidence of transient synovitis in early childhood makes it the first suspected pathology in a limping child. Trauma, which has long been regarded as a causative factor for transient synovitis, may be underestimated in a non-cooperative toddler.After excluding most serious conditions, such as septic arthritis, a speculative diagnosis of transient synovitis can be made, and this can easily mask a subtle musculoskeletal injury. CASE PRESENTATIONS We report the cases of three Caucasian patients (two boys, aged 20-months- and three-years-old, and one girl, aged two-years-old), with tibial torus and toddler's fractures which were late-diagnosed due to an initial misdiagnosis of transient synovitis of the hip. CONCLUSION In a non-cooperative child musculoskeletal trauma can be mistaken as a simple causative factor for transient synovitis of the hip and this can easily prevent further investigation for a possible subtle musculoskeletal injury of the lower extremities.Our experience with the presented cases suggests the need to be more vigilant in the differential diagnosis of transient synovitis in young children.