Question

Tom Smith septic arthritis is -

• A. Acute gonococcal arthritis
• B. Smallpox arthritis
• C. Septic arthritis of infancy
• D. Chronic pyogenic arthritis

Hint:

This eponym names a hip joint infection occurring in infants.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Tom Smith septic arthritis is the eponym for septic arthritis of infancy, classically affecting the hip joint in infants. This identifies option c as the correct answer.
Step 2: The onset is acute with rapid abscess formation. The abscess may burst spontaneously or be incised, after which it heals quickly. A telescope test is positive because of the resulting joint destruction and instability.
Step 3: Clinically the destroyed hip resembles a congenital dislocation of the hip, with shortening and instability of the limb, but the cause is an infective septic process rather than a developmental one.
Step 4: The distractors do not match: acute gonococcal arthritis and chronic pyogenic arthritis are unrelated entities, and smallpox arthritis (osteomyelitis variolosa) is a different condition, so options a, b and d are wrong.