Katarina Slapšak
Zdravstveni dom Trebnje, Trebnje, Slovenija

Katarina Vincek
Klinika za infekcijske bolezni in vročinska stanja, Univerzitetni klinični center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenija

Abstract

Pain in a joint can be a symptom of many illnesses. The most common infectious diseases are osteoarticular infections, typically affecting the lower extremities. The infectious cause of bone and joint involvement is obvious with fever as an accompanying symptom. Still, with certain pathogens (Kingella kingae, B. burgdorferi), the systemic response may be less pronounced, and they may present without fever. Transient synovitis is one of the most common causes of hip pain in children. Transient synovitis occurs less frequently in children under three years of age, where the frequency of osteoarticular infections caused by Kingella kingae, which can also present without fever, is highest. Timely recognition of a joint infection is crucial for successful treatment and prevention of long-term consequences. In addition to septic arthritis, the article also presents characteristics of Kingella kingae infections, including transient hip synovitis and Lyme arthritis. Furthermore, it discusses reactive arthritis, which typically occurs a few weeks after infection, most often in the gastrointestinal or urinary tract.

Key words: septic arthritis, Kingella kingae, transient synovitis, Lyme arthritis, reactive arthritis