Summary

We report a case of chronic arthritis of the right hip joint in an otherwise healthy young male athlete as a complication of inadequately treated anal fistula. A young male athlete presented with symptoms of right hip pain and difficulty in walking and intermittent fever for 2 months. He had a history of perianal abscess drainage. On examination he was found to have a tender right hip joint with severe restriction of movements. He was also found to have a partially drained right ischiorectal abscess. X-ray and MRI of the hip joint revealed chronic arthritis of the right hip joint, which was communicating with a complex fistula-in-ano. He underwent a diversion sigmoid colostomy and right ischiorectal abscess drainage along with appropriate antibiotics with a plan for definitive hip joint procedure later. He was lost to follow-up and succumbed to severe perianal sepsis within a few months.