Differential Diagnosis for Wrist Pain with Swelling
Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Osteoarthritis: This is a common condition that affects the joints, including the wrist, leading to pain and swelling due to wear and tear of the joint cartilage. The likelihood of osteoarthritis increases with age and is more common in individuals with a history of repetitive wrist use or previous wrist injuries.
Other Likely Diagnoses
- Ganglion Cyst: A common benign lump that can develop on the wrist, often causing pain and swelling. These cysts are usually filled with a jelly-like fluid and can be associated with joint or tendon irritation.
- Wrist Sprain: An injury to the ligaments surrounding the wrist joint, which can cause pain, swelling, and limited mobility. This is often due to a fall onto an outstretched hand or a sudden twisting motion.
- Tendinitis: Inflammation of the tendons in the wrist, which can be caused by overuse or repetitive strain, leading to pain and swelling.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Compression of the median nerve as it passes through the wrist, leading to pain, numbness, tingling, and swelling in the wrist and hand.
Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Infectious Arthritis: A bacterial or fungal infection within the joint, which can cause severe pain, swelling, and warmth. This condition requires prompt antibiotic treatment to prevent joint destruction.
- Gout: A form of arthritis characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness, and tenderness, often occurring at the base of the thumb or other joints.
- Fracture: A break in one of the bones in the wrist, which can cause immediate pain and swelling. Some fractures may not be immediately apparent on X-ray, making clinical suspicion crucial.
Rare Diagnoses
- Kienbock's Disease: A rare condition where the blood supply to one of the bones in the wrist (the lunate) is interrupted, leading to its collapse and causing wrist pain.
- Pseudogout (Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease, CPPD): A type of arthritis that causes sudden, severe joint pain and swelling, similar to gout, but due to the deposition of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals within the joint.
- Hemangioma: A rare, benign vascular tumor that can occur in the wrist, potentially causing pain and swelling if it compresses nearby nerves or joints.