title: [Value of the measurement of intra-articular lactates. Contribution to the diagnosis of septic arthritis. Interpretation of 370 evaluations].
abstract: This retrospective study interprets the results of 370 evaluations of the lactate level of joint fluid. 5 groups were established: joint fluid from cases of mechanical (114) and microcrystalline (67) joint diseases, from inflammatory arthritis (149) and from septic arthritis (40). There was a significant difference between the lactate level in fluid from septic joints and that in the other groups. However, there was no significant difference between the rheumatoid joint fluid and the septic joint fluid. The increased level of intra-articular lactate can therefore be considered to be an argument in favour of the diagnosis of septic arthritis, but there is a certain rate of false positives (particularly in the case of rheumatoid arthritis) and false negatives, which require a very careful interpretation of the test. In cases of inflammatory arthritis with a cell count of more than 10,000 per mm3, there is a correlation between the white cell count and the lactate level. This relation is not observed in the case of septic arthritis. The authors did not detect any difference in the levels of intra-articular lactate according to the nature of the infecting organism. They studied 4 specimens of joint fluid from gonococcal arthritis and the levels of lactate were similar to those of other types of septic arthritis.
mesh_terms: D001168:Arthritis / Q000175:diagnosis; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007773:Lactates / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007773:Lactates
vernacular_title: Intérêt de la mesure des lactates intra-articulaires. Apport au diagnostic des arthrites septiques. Interprétation de 370 évaluations.