Psoas Abscess after Radical Abdominal Hysterectomy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

We report a case of a 38-year- old woman who presented with right lower quadrant abdominal pain and occasional fevers, five weeks after radical abdominal hysterectomy and pelvic node dissection for cervical carcinoma. After initial empirical antibiotic treatment failure, a decision was made to proceed with percutaneous drainage of a right psoas abscess. The antibiotic regimen was adjusted according to the culture results from the abscess. The patient's condition improved in the next 36 hours. The patient was discharged six days later on oral antibiotic treatment for four weeks. Psoas abscess is a rare condition in general obstetrics and gynecology and its incidence in gynecological oncology is very low. This is a potentially fatal condition with difficult diagnosis and treatment. Appropriate management of these cases should include suspicion and confirmation of the diagnosis and aggressive medical and surgical treatment.