Background: Psoas abcess complicating Crohn's disease is a rare condition. Diagnosis remains difficult, especially when it is the first sign of Crohn's disease.
Aim: We report here 3 patients presenting with psoas abcess as the initial manifestation of the disease, among 118 patients with Crohn's disease seen between 1990 and 2006.
Cases report: Symptoms and signs were fever, lower abdominal quadrant pain or tenderness and psoitis. Diagnosis was confirmed in all cases by computed axial tomography. In 2 cases, psoas abcess secondary to a periappendicular abcess or a colonic neoplasm were suspected, and the etiology was made correctly only after operation. Effective therapy included antibiotics, drainage and bowel resection.