[Psoas abscess in Cote d'Ivoire: a report of eighteen cases]

Psoas abscess is a rarely encountered entity with a non specific clinical presentation resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment. No published data exist on this disease in our country.

To describe the diagnostic and therapeutic features of psoas abscesses in Côte d'Ivoire. Methodes: A retrospective study of 18 psoas abscesses seen over seven years in two teaching hospitals.

There were 10 women and eight men with a mean age of 35.7 years (range:16-62 years). The abscess was primary in 15 cases, secondary in three, right sided in 15 and left sided in three cases. Fever, abdominal pain, difficulties in walk, abdominal mass and psoitis were the main clinical signs. Ultrasonography allowed the diagnosis of psoas abscess in 14 cases and in the remaining 4 cases the diagnosis was done peroperatively. The germs were identified in 12 patients and were: Escherichia coli in 3 cases, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae in two cases each and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in one case. Patients were given antibiotics together with surgical drainage of the abscess (n=16) or percutaneous needle aspiration (n=2). Postoperative complications included parietal suppurations (n=5) and intraperitoneal abscesses (n=2). No death occurred.

For psoas abscess in our practice, ultrasonography is a useful diagnostic tool and surgical drainage remains an effective therapeutic method.