What the heck is wrong with my DD's knee?

[LisaR]

The doctors can't figure it out so maybe someone here can point me in the right direction. I've seen the Dis participants work magic before.

DD is 15. She is not an athlete and hasn't done an organized sport since the age of 9. She is 5'3" and 100 pounds. Her right knee swells up and gets warm and this has been happening intermittently since she was 10.

I have taken her to regular doctors and two orthopedic doctors over the years. She has had x-rays (negative), blood work (negative) and an MRI. The MRI showed a "skin infection." None of the doctors have a clue what that even means. She does not have a bone infection. They tested her for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis twice and that was negative. She does have very cold hands so that is why they were leaning towards JRA.

This only happens about once every 6 months. Out of nowhere, her right knee will swell, hurt and most of the time it gets warm. It never gets red.

The only diagnosis I have been able to get out of the orthopedic doctor is "it must be growing pains." It seems odd to me that the only thing that ever hurts is her right knee. Also, we have never been able to correlate the knee pain with a growth spurt.

Right now, her right knee measures 3 inches in diameter bigger than her left knee so she is lying on the sofa with her knee up on a stack of pillows and icing it down.

I am so frustrated! Any suggestions? I guess I can try another orthopedic doctor or should I accept the growing pains diagnosis? My mommy instinct tells me it isn't growing pains but I don't have any other ideas.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

My mom has this, (definetely not a child/teenager) but it was diagnosed as bursitis and treated as such. Try recommending that to the drs.

 

[love2disney]

Have they checked for Lymes disease?

 

[LisaR]

My mom has this, (definetely not a child/teenager) but it was diagnosed as bursitis and treated as such. Try recommending that to the drs.

I never thought of that. Thanks!

Have they checked for Lymes disease?

Not that I am aware of. Wouldn't there be other symptoms?

 

[golfgal]

You didn't mention that you took her to a rheumatologist-have you? If not, I would try that route.

 

[LisaR]

You didn't mention that you took her to a rheumatologist-have you? If not, I would try that route.

Apparently, I am not allowed to take her to a rheumatologist. We do not have pediatric ones where we live. I would have to take her an hour away which is fine by me. However, apparently every pediatric rheumatologist in this stupid state requires a diagnosis before they will see her. Since the diagnosis is only "growing pains," they won't see her. Is that the most ridiculous thing ever? I have even had her doctor call around and she was shocked to hear the same thing. She is from another state and she said she has honestly never heard of this before. That was a few years ago. Maybe now that DD is 15, I could try calling some of the doctors that treat adults and see if they would be willing to see her since she is older now.

 

[golfgal]

Another thought I had was gout-has she been checked for that?

 

[Liberty Belle]

Mine used to do that when I was young (around 8 or 9 until I was about 16 or so). I never was diagnosed with anything, either. Tylenol helped me and it usually only lasted a day or two. Weird.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

Symptoms sound similar to my knee problems that I have been having since I was about 13/14 (25 now). I am about the same size as your daughter and have never been particularly athletic because of my knees. When they do x-rays, do they ever have her lay on her belly with her knees bent at a 90 degree angle? My knees started flaring up again last summer and I had x-rays at the ER that showed nothing. The orthopedic surgeon took the other x-rays and found it immediately - my patella does not track properly in both of my knees. It is something usually found in athletes, but with my lack of exercise or any injury it is likely I was just born that way. I had surgery in February on my left knee. Not sure if I made the right choice on that one, though. Hope this helps, and good luck to your daughter.

 

[love2disney]

My neighbors kid had Lymes with only that symptom hence I asked.