Approach to acute limb pain in childhood.

Introduction In a pediatric setting, physicians frequently are faced with a child presenting with acute limb pain. The differential diagnosis of acute limb pain may include a variety of causes (Table 1), each requiring differing treatments. In certain circumstances, the condition must be diagnosed immediately and appropriate therapy instituted quickly to prevent serious sequelae. Working through the cases discussed in this review offers an approach for the diagnosis and management of acute limb pain in childhood.