Epidemiology

Etiology

• Primary psoas abscess
  • Caused by hematogenous or lymphatic spread of a pathogen from a distant source
• Secondary psoas abscess
  • Caused by contiguous spread of a pathogen from an adjacent infectious focus
  • Primary focus may be:
    • Gastrointestinal: e.g., IBD (especially Crohn disease), colitis, appendicitis, diverticulitis, pancreatitis
    • Musculoskeletal: e.g., osteomyelitis (esp. of the vertebrae), Pott disease, paraspinal abscess, septic arthritis (commonly of the hip in children), prosthetic joint infection
    • Genitourinary: e.g., pyelonephritis, cystitis
• Risk factors for psoas abscess
  • Immunodeficiency (e.g., diabetes mellitus, HIV)
• Causative pathogens
  • Staphylococcus aureus: Most common causative pathogen

Pathophysiology

Clinical features

Diagnostics

CT abdomen and pelvis with IV contrast

Treatment