Synovial fluid Flashcards
SYNOVIAL FLUID A viscous liquid found in the cavities of?
Diarthroses
SYNOVIAL FLUID Also known as the
joint fluid
o The viscosity is due to the
hyaluronic acid
needle aspiration of fluid from joints
Arthrocentesis:
Tube?
Heparin
Liquid EDTA
Microscopic
examination: cell
counts
tube 2
Tube?
Non-anticoagulated
NaF
Chemistry
Glucose analysis
tube 1
Total protein:
<3 g/dL
Glucose testing: fasting for
6 hours
Neutrophils:
<25% of total WBCs
Tube?
Sterile heparinized
tube
SPS tube
Microbiology: Gram
stain and culture
tube 3
Crystals:
none present
Glucose:
10 mg/dL lower than blood
why should you not use powdere anticoags?
it interferes with crystal analysis
normal Volume:
< 3.5 mL
VARIATIONS AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
inflammatory process
Yellow and cloudy:
inflammation volume?
> 25 ml with inflammation.
hemorrhage
Red, brown or xanthochromic:
color
colorless to pale yellow
Leukocyte count
<200 cells/uL
Clarity:
clear
Viscosity
: able to from 4 to 6 cm long
equal to blood concentration?
Uric acid
Crystals color?
milky
Increased volume means?
severe joint involvement
Poor/low viscosity (<3cm strings):
arthritis
Bacterial infection
Greenish:
Vacuolated macrophages with
ingested neutrophils
Seen in Reiter’s syndrome and
non-specific inflammation
Reiter cells
diluent for hyperviscous sample?
NSS
0.1N HCl
1% saponin in saline
Seen in rheumatoid arthritis and
immunologic inflammation
RA cells/Ragocytes
Neutrophils with small, dark,
cytoplasmic granules of
precipitated rheumatoid factor
RA cells/Ragocytes
Seen in systemic lupus
erythematosus
LE cell
Monocytes that contain an
engulfed nuclear material
Tart cell
Macroscopically resemble
polished rice
Microscopically show collagen
fibers and fibrin strands
Rice bodies
Similar to macrophage, but may
be multinucleated
Synovial lining cell
Large, multinucleated cell
Seen in osteoarthritis
Cartilage cell
May be mistaken as an LE cell
Tart cell
Neutrophil containing a
characteristic ingested round
body
LE cell
Debris from metal and plastic
joint prosthesis
Ochronotic shards
Also resembles mesothelial cells
Normally seen in synovial fluid
Synovial lining cell
Look like ground pepper
No significant diagnostic value
Ochronotic shards
Refractile intracellular and
extracellular globules
Seen in traumatic injury
Fat droplets
Seen in tuberculosis, sepsis and
rheumatoid arthritis
Rice bodies
Inclusions within clusters of
synovial cells
Hemosiderin
Seen in pigmented villonodular
synovitis
Hemosiderin
increased in ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis, arthropathies (Crohn’s
disease), gout, psoriasis, Reiter syndrome and ulcerative
colitis
PROTEIN
Seen in bacterial sepsis and
crystal-induced inflammation
Normally seen and accounts for
25% of the total leukocyte
But increased levels may
indicate bacterial sepsis and
crystal induced inflammation
Neutrophil
Seen in non-septic inflammation
Lymphocyte
Seen in acute rheumatoid
arthritis, parasitism and Lyme
disease
Eosinophil
GLUCOSE DETERMINATION
normal value
10mg/dL lower than serum
protein normal value
1 to 3 g/dL
May contain vacuolations
Normally seen in synovial fluid,
but may also indicate viral
infection
Macrophage and Monocyte
Determination of the integrity of the hyaluronic acid-protein
complex
MUCIN CLOT TESTS
rgt of mucin clot test?
2 to 5% HAc
results from the anaerobic glycolysis in the synovium
for rapid differentiation or inflammatory and septic arthritis
LACTIC ACID DETERMINATION
decreased in infectious joint disorders
GLUCOSE
URIC ACID normal value
: 6 to 8 mg/dL
LACTIC ACID normal value:
: <25mg/dL(as high as 1000/dL): septic
arthritis
in total wbc coun if the specimen is turbid or bloody what diluent should you use?
NSS + methylene blue
appearance: Needle-like
Monosodium
urate
To promote RBC lysis in total wbc count what rgt should you use?
hypotonic saline with
saponin
Very viscous specim
Normally absent in synovial fluid
CRYSTALS IN SYNOVIAL FLUID
in total wbc count if the specimen is very viscous what rgt should you use>
hyaluronidase to 0.5 ml of fluid or
0.05%
needle-like appearance seen in gout
- MONOSODIUM URATE/URIC ACID
Appears yellow in compensated polarized light indicating
negative birefringence
MONOSODIUM URATE/URIC ACID
Clinical Significance of crytals: Gout
Monosodium
urate
appearance: Small particles
Calcium
needle-like appearance or in rods seen in Pseudogout
CALCIUM PYROPHOSPHATE:
Appears blue in compensated polarized light indicating
positive birefringence
CALCIUM PYROPHOSPHATE:
appearance: Notched,
rhombic plates
Cholesterol
appearance:Rhombic
squares or
rods
Calcium
pyrophosphate
appearance: Envelope-like
Calcium
oxalat
appearance: Flat, variableshaped plates
Corticosteroid
Clinical Significance of crytals: Pseudogout
Calcium
pyrophosphate
Clinical Significance of crytals: Osteoarthritis
Calcium
phosphate
Clinical Significance of crytals: Injections
Corticosteroid
Clinical Significance of crytals: Renal dialysis
Calcium
oxalate
Clinical Significance of crytals: Chronic
effusion
Cholesterol