haemarthrosis
Last reviewed 01/2018
Haemarthrosis is usually seen in haemophilia and can occur spontaneously or as a result of apparently minor injury.
The damage to the joints usually begins before the age of 15. A joint may be acutely distended by blood, which is then slowly resorbed. There is a variable amount of inflammation, and the synovium becomes hypertrophic and haemosiderin-stained. Damage to the articular cartilage is a common consequence of repeated haemarthroses; furthermore intraosseous haemorrhage may lead to bone resorption and the development of bone cysts.
The history differentiates it from inflammatory arthritis.