Case Report
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Sep 16, 2014; 2(9): 459-462
Published online Sep 16, 2014. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v2.i9.459
Tattooing: A potential novel risk factor for iliopsoas abscess
Sweny Gulati, Ankur Jain, Maryam Sattari
Sweny Gulati, Ankur Jain, Maryam Sattari, Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States
Author contributions: Gulati S, Jain A and Sattari M contributed equally to this work;
Correspondence to: Maryam Sattari, MD, MS, Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, 1600 SW Archer Rd, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States. maryam.sattari@medicine.ufl.edu
Telephone: +1-352-2650651 Fax: +1-352-2650653
Received: April 27, 2014
Revised: July 10, 2014
Accepted: July 18, 2014
Published online: September 16, 2014
Processing time: 151 Days and 1.6 Hours
Abstract

Iliopsoas abscess (IPA) is an uncommon infection. The clinical presentation is usually insidious. Most patients present with nonspecific symptoms, leading to difficulty in prompt and accurate diagnosis. Delay in diagnosis can lead to complications, such as sepsis and death. Tattooing has become more popular over the recent years and has been associated with tattooing-related and blood-borne infections. We present two related cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus IPA after tattooing and review the epidemiology, etiology, clinical features, and management of IPA.

Keywords: Iliopsoas abscess; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Intravenous drug abuse; Tattooing; Primary iliopsoas abscess; Secondary iliopsoas abscess

Core tip: Iliopsoas abscess (IPA), a collection of pus in the iliopsoas compartment, is classified as primary or secondary depending on the source of infection. While immunocompromise and intravenous drug abuse are the most common known risk factors for primary IPA, tattooing may represent a novel risk factor as well. We present two related cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus IPA after tattooing and review the epidemiology, etiology, clinical features, and management of IPA. Maintaining a high clinical suspicion for this condition in patients with risk factors is important for prompt and accurate diagnosis and prevention of complications, such as sepsis and death.