A 52-year-old man arrives at the hospital after experiencing nonspecific back and stomach discomfort for four weeks. He has also had episodes of fever, anorexia, and a 2-kg (4.4-lb) weight loss. The patient was diagnosed with HIV recently and has not yet started antiretroviral medication. He has a history of using intravenous drugs. An infection involving the structure indicated by the arrow in the figure below is shown by a CT scan of the abdomen. Which of the following structures is involved by this patient's infectious process?

Question

A 52-year-old man arrives at the hospital after experiencing nonspecific back and stomach discomfort for four weeks. He has also had episodes of fever, anorexia, and a 2-kg (4.4-lb) weight loss. The patient was diagnosed with HIV recently and has not yet started antiretroviral medication. He has a history of using intravenous drugs. An infection involving the structure indicated by the arrow in the figure below is shown by a CT scan of the abdomen.  Which of the following structures is involved by this patient's infectious process?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: The psoas muscle is a hip flexor that arises from the anterior surface of the transverse processes and the lateral side of the vertebral bodies. Psoas abscess can develop from either direct infection spread from a neighboring structure (e.g., vertebral bodies, appendix, hip joint) or hematogenous seeding from a distant location.

A 52-Year-Old Man Arrives at the Hospital After Experiencing Nonspecific