TOPIC: RANDOM MIX
A 10-year-old child from an endemic area presents with a massive, painless, recurrent effusion of the right knee without significant systemic signs of toxicity. Synovial fluid analysis reveals a WBC count of 35,000 cells/mm³. What is the most appropriate initial diagnostic test for the suspected etiology?
A
Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) or immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for Borrelia burgdorferi
B
Routine aerobic and anaerobic synovial fluid cultures held for 21 days
C
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Neisseria gonorrhoeae
D
Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear and culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis