title: [Characteristics of limping patients in Rheumatology].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Limping is a frequent reason for consultation. Our aim is to describe the characteristics of patients who limp and are evaluated in Rheumatology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study from October 2009 to June 2010. Variables included: epidemiological data, clinical symptoms and laboratory and imaging tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 95 patients were studied and classified into four groups according to their diagnosis, inflammatory 22%, infectious 17%, transient hip synovitis 13%, and miscellaneous 48%. There were differences between groups in age (P<0.0001) and arthritis (P<0.0001). In this population, the probability of an infectious/inflammatory limp fulfils the criteria "less than 3 years and fever" was 79% and reached 100% if it was also associated with arthritis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical evaluation and in particular, age, fever and arthritis seem to be the most relevant data in differentiating infectious/inflammation diagnosis in the child who limps.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Reumatología Pediátrica, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, España. smmurias.hulp@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murias
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Remesal
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Quiles
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Merino
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis