[Primary psoas abscess: report of 5 new cases. Review of the literature].

Objectives: We report 5 new cases of primary psoas abscess in this review. We describe the various pathogen agents involved in the development of this disease, as well as the etiopathogenesis, which is explained by several theories, being the most commonly accepted hematogenous dissemination from a septic focus. In the same way, we refer the most interesting clinical data and the value of current diagnostic tests, among which are abdominal x-ray (KUB), ultrasound, isotope scan, and CT scan, being this latter the ideal diagnostic test for these processes.

Methods: Retrospective study from 1985 to 2000, including a total of 5 patients with an average age of 48.2 years.

Results: 4 of these 5 patients were males, and two of them had documented history of addiction to parenteral drugs and chronic alcoholism respectively. All patients presented with lumbar pain, four of them with fever, 2 functional impotence and 1 mass effect. Four of them had increased white blood cells count; ultrasound was diagnostic in one case only, and CT scan in all 5. Blood cultures were positive in three cases, being Staphylococcus Aureus the germ isolated from the pus in four cases. The four patients treated had a positive outcome without recurrence to date.

Conclusions: The reappearance of primary abscesses in young population with history of alcoholism or addiction to parenteral drugs. CT scan is the diagnostic tests of choice. Percutaneous drainage has good results and is less aggressive therapeutic option for this disease.