[Synovial lesions of the upper ankle joint]

The ankle is a typical synovial joint. It is affected by systemic as well as locally limited synovial processes. Looking at oligo- and polyarticular diseases it is affected by Reiter's Syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis in young patients. In middle aged people Crystal Synovitides dominate the picture and in old age Gout and tumorous lesions are seen. Looking at monarticular inflammatory processes one has to think of tuberculosis first. Crystal-induced monarthropathies such as hemochromatosis can also start at the ankle. In this review we describe the possible inflammatory diseases of the talocrural joint and present a diagnostic algorithm.