A cute Knee Monoarthritis among Patients at Prince Hashem Hospital : Approach and Differential Diagnosis

الملخص EN

Objective: To determine the diagnosis of acute knee monoarthritis and its relation to age and gender among adult patients referred to the rheumatology clinic at Prince Hashem Hospital. Methods: This study was carried out at Prince Hashem Hospital, over a period of two years from July 2000-July 2002.

One hundred and fourteen patients were enrolled in the study after fulfillment of our predetermined criteria.

They all underwent physical, radiological and laboratory tests.

Synovial fluid analysis was also performed to all patients. Results: Out of 152 patients referred to our clinic, only 114 patients fulfilled the criteria for the study, 36.8% patients were females, with male to female ratio 1.7:1, age ranged from (22-90) with a mean age of 49.4 years.

Osteoarthritis was the predominant diagnosis reaching (43%) followed by gouty arthritis (29%), right or left knee were affected close to each other.

Reiter's syndrome, brucellosis, and pseudogout were the least to be found (0.9%) for each. Conclusion: Acute monoarthritis remains a challenge both diagnostically and therapeutically, but with careful physical examination, radiological, laboratory and the most important synovial fluid aspiration and analysis, this condition can be treated and alleviating its bad consequences.