Salmonella psoas abscess - A case report

The clinical presentation of psoas abscess is often non-specific and insidious that may mislead the diagnosis and treatment. The abscess often extends beyong the retroperitoneum and pelvis before its diagnosis, and leads to serious complications. Many diseases have the similar signs and symptoms and must be ruled out. Computed tomogram is the most useful and reliable diagnostic tool. Only a few cases of salmonella psoas abscess were reported in the literature, and were usually associated with spinal osteomyelitis or septic hip. We present a case of salmonella psoas abscess in a patient with diabetes mellitus. The patient had the history of cholecystitis with sepsis due to salmonella infection 4 years before and cholecystectomy had been done. No associated lesion was found to be associated with the abscess, and we believed the abscess be to the result of recurrent bacteremic attack. High index of suspicion, early diagnosis, adequate drainage and effective antibiotic treatment are the key points in managing the disease.