Ankle extensor tendon synovitis due to a date palm thorn.

Palm thorn injury to tendons and joints is characterized in most patients by an acute inflammatory stage followed by a relatively asymptomatic period and finally by chronic synovitis or tenosynovitis. Once the inflammatory process has begun, detection and localization of the thorn can be very difficult. We present an unusual case of palm thorn tenosynovitis of the ankle extensor tendon which was detected and localized preoperatively by ultrasound. Removal of the thorn and synovectomy were curative.