Swollen knee
When one has swelling of the knee, one needs to consider:
Was there a recent knee injury?
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There could be blood in the knee cavity due to damage to internal structures. This could be generalised, tense and painful, with the knee blowing up like a balloon. Blood in the knee joint is called 'haemarthrosis'.
Or there may be bleeding into the lubricating pockets around the knee (bursae) causing tense but discrete swellings.
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Was there a knee injury a little time ago?
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Old blood in the knee may be causing irritation of the joint lining, and secretion of excessive lubricating (synovial) fluid into the knee cavity. The fluid is likely to be dark brown and is called a 'post-haemorrhagic effusion'.
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Did the knee swelling seem to just come on slowly without a knee injury?
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There may be an irritation within the knee cavity, possibly from an arthritic process inside the knee joint. The fluid is likely to be straw-coloured and is called an 'effusion'.
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Did the knee swelling come on suddenly with the knee tense and hot?
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There may be infection or inflammatory disease (like gout) inside the knee.
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