Iliopsoas gravity abscess secondary to a tuberculous empyema

Abstract

A 29-year-old Japanese man with a history of right-sided tuberculous pleurisy presented with fever and right flank pain. Computed tomography images revealed a right pleural effusion and an area of low attenuation in the right iliopsoas muscle. Percutaneous drainage of the iliopsoas lesion resulted in a bloody pyogenic discharge that tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis by both acid-fast staining and polymerase chain reaction. Enhanced fluoroscopy revealed a perforation of the diaphragm between the thoracic region and the psoas muscle. The patient was diagnosed with an iliopsoas abscess secondary to tuberculous empyema.

Keywords

• gravity abscess
• iliopsoas abscess
• tuberculosis
• tuberculous empyema