hemarthrosis

Introduction

Blood in a joint.

Etiology

• trauma
• internal joint derangement
• anticoagulation or coagulation disorder
  • hemophilia
• crystalline arthritis
  • gout
  • pseudogout
• tumor
• fracture of the patellar, femoral or tibial plateau

Clinical manifestations

• tenderness directly over the bone suggests fracture

Laboratory

• examination of synovial fluid under polarized light for crystals characteristic of gout or pseudogout

Radiology

• MRI if trauma or internal derangement suspected

Management

• dependent upon specific etiology
• therapeutic drainage of a non-infected joint
  • generally of little clinical utility
  • hemarthrosis generally returns after removal of fluid
  • spontaneous resolution is the rule

More general terms

• sign/symptom
• joint disease; articular disease; arthropathy
• internal hemorrhage

Additional terms

• joint effusion (knee effusion)