Psoas abscess – an unusual cause of groin pain

Suppurative psoas abscess is a relatively rare lesion in the UK, and lack of familiarity with it can present a major difficulty in diagnosis. The presenting symptoms are often at the hip rather than at the abdomen or spine. We report a case of non-tuberculous suppurative psoas abscess in a 25 year old man who presented with hip pain. Septic arthritis of the hip joint was ruled out by aspiration of the hip, and the diagnosis of psoas abscess was made by MRI scan.