Septic arthritis complicating apatite associated destructive arthropathy.

Septic arthritis can complicate many forms of arthritis. Two cases of apatite associated destructive arthropathy (AADA) complicated by sepsis are described. Diagnosis of this complication in the setting of severe joint damage is difficult as AADA and sepsis share certain characteristics--an initial, rapidly progressive, severely painful course and radiographs which show rapidly destructive changes with marked cartilage loss, bone attrition, and virtual absence of osteophyte or cyst response.