Bilateral tuberculous psoas abscess in an immunocompetent patient: a case report and literature review

Full text loading... Abstract Psoas abscess is a rare infection historically associated with tuberculosis (TB), although non tuberculous bacterial causes particularly Staphylococcus aureus have become increasingly common. This type of abscess can be either primary or secondary, and its diagnosis remains challenging due to the non-specific nature of clinical signs. Imaging and microbiological analyses are essential for establishing the diagnosis. We report the case of a 22-year-old patient with no significant medical history, who presented with persistent mechanical low back pain for 18 months. Initial computed tomography revealed a non-compressive disc protrusion, leading to treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, without improvement. Further investigations revealed an extrapulmonary spinal localization of tuberculosis in an immunocompetent patient, with bilateral psoas abscesses caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).confirmed by Ziehl-Neelsen staining, auramine staining, culture on Löwenstein-Jensen medium, and GeneXpert PCR. Anti-tuberculosis treatment was initiated, resulting in favorable clinical evolution. - Received: - Version Posted: