Septic arthritis of the hip with intraperitoneal dislocation of the femoral head

Abstract

Septic arthritis is a potentially crippling infection of the joint cavity. Malnutrition in the setting of poor socioeconomic background is a known predisposing and propagating factor of septic arthritis. Prolonged untreated septic arthritis of the hip joint can be a rare cause of acute abdomen, this is due to the proximity of the hip joint to the pelvis causing the spread of the causative organisms into the peritoneal cavity. 

We present a case of septic arthritis of the hip joint presenting as acute abdomen with intra-peritoneal dislocation of the head of the femur, and reviewed relevant literature. 

Keywords: acute abdomen; septic arthritis; peritonitis; fracture dislocation