Iliopsoas abscess in children: report on five patients with a literature review

We aimed in this study to present the clinical findings in children with iliopsoas abscess (IPA) and to discuss the diagnosis and treatment. The files of five patients, hospitalized between August 2011 and June 2013 and monitored with a diagnosis of IPA, were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic characteristics, symptoms and signs, laboratory examinations, and diagnostic and treatment methods of the cases were evaluated. Two of the cases were females and three were males, and their ages ranged from 10 to 15 years. Before the diagnosis, the duration of symptoms in patients ranged from five days to one year. The primary symptoms included fever and difficulty in walking. One patient presented with septic shock and had a history of trauma as a predisposing factor. All patients except one had a higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) value. Psoas abscess was demonstrated by ultrasonography (USG), except in one patient. Four patients underwent percutaneous drainage of the abscess. The isolated microorganisms included Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Enterococcus faecalis. All the cases recovered without sequelae. Diagnosis of IPA in children is difficult, and many physicians are usually consulted before any diagnosis is made. IPA should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with complaints of lower back, hip, groin and leg pain and difficulty in walking.