title: Psoas abscess secondary to haematoma after a fall causing multiple osteoporotic fractures.
abstract: A 78-year-old woman presented 28 days after a low-impact fall, where she sustained a right pubic ramus fracture, with increasing left hip pain and fever. Her blood results showed a high white cell count and deranged urea and electrolytes. An MRI revealed multiple osteoporotic fractures and bilateral gluteal abscesses with left iliopsoas abscess, which had likely formed in a haematoma of a sacral fracture. She received a long course of intravenous antibiotics and CT-guided drainage of the abscesses. She developed symptoms of cauda equina, but no evidence of epidural extension of the abscess was found at operation. She required neurorehabilitation. This case highlights the complications of pelvic osteoporotic fractures, and high associated morbidity and mortality in the elderly population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, UK. kathrin.whitehouse@nhs.net
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Whitehouse
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horne
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gay
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000077:Acetabulum / Q000293:injuries; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D006406:Hematoma / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007512:Ischium / Q000293:injuries; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D016659:Psoas Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012447:Sacrum / Q000293:injuries