Objective The incidence of iliopsoas abscesses has been increasing due to advances in diagnostic imaging techniques and the increased number of elderly individuals and immunodeficient patients with co-morbidities. Our aim was to investigate the management and treatment of iliopsoas abscesses, particularly the effectiveness of computed tomography (CT)-guided drainage in the era of interventional radiology.
Methods A retrospective analysis was performed at a university hospital between January 2009 and March 2014.
Patients There were 15 patients (eight men, seven women) 50-85 years of age (average: 70 years) diagnosed with an iliopsoas abscess.
Results The etiology of the disease was investigated in 14 of the 15 patients, each of whom had a secondary iliopsoas abscess. The primary condition in nine of these patients (64.3%) was an orthopedic infection (spondylodiscitis); the most common symptom was fever (12 patients, 80%). Altogether, 10 patients (66.7%) had a multilocular abscess and five (33.3%) had bilateral abscesses. The most common pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus (seven patients, 50%). All 14 patients underwent drainage: 11 received CT-guided drainage, two underwent postdrainage surgery and one received ultrasonography-guided drainage. Poor drainage was overcome by inserting multiple drainage tubes (six patients) or performing transmembrane drainage with a guidewire. All but one patient survived.
Conclusion Based on the high success rate of CT-guided drainage in this study, this technique is expected to continue to play a major role in cases requiring drainage, even in patients with bilateral or multilocular abscesses. However, this modality cannot be used in cases of gastrointestinal perforation.