Archive Case #73: Equine Septic Arthritis

Clinical Clues

1. A horse develops sudden severe lameness in one limb after a recent puncture wound near a joint.
2. The affected joint is swollen, hot, and extremely painful to move.
3. The horse will barely bear weight on the limb.
4. Synovial fluid obtained from the joint is turbid with a very high nucleated cell count.
5. Cytology supports septic inflammation within the synovial space.
6. Bacterial infection of a joint is an emergency cause of acute severe lameness in horses.

Diagnosis

Equine Septic Arthritis

This case is most consistent with Equine Septic Arthritis because the horse has acute severe joint pain with turbid inflammatory synovial fluid after local trauma. The most important clues are the puncture history and septic synovial fluid, which make a simple sterile effusion less likely.

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.