In Hungary about 1900-2500 new patients suffering from tuberculosis have been registered yearly in the last few years. In 2000 the incidence was 36/100,000, which decreased to 18.8/100,000 by the year 2006. Extrapulmonary, skeletal forms are uncommon and develop in a slow way, therefore the specific diagnostic steps are not part of the daily routine orthopedic examination. To provide appropriate diagnosis and successful treatment, the cooperative work of many faculties is essential. Authors report a case of a 19-year-old male patient with hip complaints in the last two years. X-ray, CT and MRI examinations proved a progressive pattern of destruction of the hip joint. Diagnostic steps and failures, also the surgical therapeutic solution of active hip tuberculosis, have been presented.