Tuberculosis as a late complication of total hip replacement.

A case of tuberculosis developing in a hip joint which had undergone total prosthetic replacement arthroplasty 7 years previously is described. The patient had no manifestation of active systemic tuberculosis although calcified mesenteric nodes were noted on abdominal X-ray. It is assumed that hip joint infection occurred during a bacteraemia following activation of a latent tuberculous focus in the mesenteric lymph nodes.