Open AccessA Rare Case of Vertebral Osteomyelitis and Bilateral Psoas Abscess From an Unknown Source
Author(s) -
Henrik Ghantarchyan,
Simi A. Philip,
Kathleen Dunn,
Jin Suck Suh
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of medical cases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1923-4163
pISSN - 1923-4155
DOI - 10.14740/jmc3565
Subject(s) - medicine , vertebral osteomyelitis , osteomyelitis , pelvis , abdomen , surgery , abscess , subcutaneous abscess , psoas muscles , spondylitis , radiology , ankylosing spondylitis
We present a case of a 31-year-old Filipino man with vertebral osteomyelitis and bilateral psoas abscesses. Vertebral osteomyelitis is a rare infection of the bone and bone marrow that affects the vertebral column. The patient's initial presentation included a 1-week history of cough, fatigue, diarrhea, fevers, and a 40-pound weight loss. An extensive workup including a computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated bilateral psoas abscesses with subcutaneous air tracking into the right flank. Blood cultures revealed Escherichia coli , Streptococcus anginosus , and Bacteroides . However, with an unclear primary source of infection, the most likely causative factor we believed to be due to immobility.