What is Arthrosynovitis
Arthrosynovitis is an inflammation of the synovium, the membrane that lines the inside of the joints. The inflammatory process can however extend and also affect the surrounding tissues.
The site most commonly affected by joint synovitis is the knee joint.
Causes
Arthrosynovitis can be caused by violent or minor but continually repeated trauma, by local or systemic bacterial infections (for example: syphilis, tuberculosis), by rheumatic diseases or by metabolic diseases (for example: gout).
Symptoms
The inflammatory process involves various types of alterations in the synovial membrane. When inflamed, the synovium produces an excess of fluid that fills the joint cavities, acquiring different aspects depending on the pathogen involved: serous (in case of stimuli not caused by bacteria) or seropurulent or purulent (in case of bacterial infection) ).
In addition to fluid exudation within the joint cavity, arthrosynovitis is associated with clinical signs such as pain, swelling (swelling) and limitation or blockage of joint movement.
The chronic evolution of arthrosynovitis can lead to the thickening of the synovial membrane to induce the formation of nodules, as in the case of pigmented villonodular synovitis.
Pigmented villonodular synovitis in brief
Pigmented villonodular synovitis (also called giant cell tumor of the tendon sheaths) is a rare disease characterized by benign proliferation of the synovial membrane. The hypotheses on the causes of origin are of various types: neoplastic, post-traumatic, dysmetabolic or genetic. The pathology presents pigmented (brown-yellowish) and hyperplastic synovial cells (the pathological process progressively induces the proliferation of the cells present in the joint site, with pseudo-tumor modality).
The localized form (nodular) presents with the onset of some nodules at the level of the synovium, while the diffuse form (villonodular) is characterized by a rather aggressive invasion of the joint cavity, associated with the appearance of many nodular formations. The diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy and histological analysis. The therapy involves surgical treatment for synovectomy (partial or total removal of the synovial membrane affected by the disease) , arthroscopy or classical surgery, as the disease can have a relapsing character.
Diagnosis
Arthrosynovitis is diagnosed through a history of symptoms, physical examination and, if necessary, with imaging techniques (ultrasound, magnetic resonance) to investigate the presence of the typical clinical signs of the disease.
Treatment
Therapeutic management uses rest and may require immobilization of the affected joint. Pharmacological therapy involves the administration of anti-inflammatories, analgesics and antibiotics.
Sometimes, it is possible to resort to the local infiltration of cortisone and, if necessary, to empty the collection of fluid by means of a small surgical intervention (arthrocentesis).
Chronic forms of arthrosynovitis may require partial or total removal of the synovial membrane (synovectomy).
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