Fever, pain, and a limp: a case of a psoas and spinal epidural abscess caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a diabetic patient

Abstract

Psoas and spinal epidural abscesses are rare conditions that are infrequently found occurring simultaneously in the same patient. This case presents an 18-year-old female with diabetes mellitus who presented with fever and leg pain. Blood and urine cultures were positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A CT scan of the abdomen showed a large psoas abscess with loculations extending and involving the spinal canal. The abscesses were drained and the patient completed a 6-week course of intravenous antibiotics with remarkable improvement of her clinical condition. The diagnosis of psoas and epidural abscesses is difficult and can be overlooked or delayed as a result of their vague clinical manifestations and their rarity, which leads to a lack of clinical suspicion.