Painful knees associated with a septic focus

The association between gastrointestinal disorders and arthritis is well recognized. We describe a 54-yr-old man who presented with a seronegative oligoarthritis in whom the clinical picture was consistent with a hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. An occult septic focus was identified when a barium enema demonstrated a diverticular abscess, treatment of which led to a complete resolution of symptoms.