Yersinia enterocolitica is a rare cause of extra-intestinal disease. A
case in a 60 year old butcher with hepatic cirrhosis who developed su
ppurative arthritis of the shoulder caused by Y enterocolitica is pres
ented. There was no evidence of gastrointestinal infection or septicae
mia. The severity of the illness was associated with various factors,
including the underlying disease, the type of occupation, and the diff
iculties encountered in defining the optimal therapeutic regimen.