Fulminating gas-forming psoas muscle abscess due to Klebsiella pneumoniae following a deep neck infection

Psoas muscle abscess due to Klebsiella pneumoniae infection is rare. We report a 55-year-old diabetic man who presented with progressive back pain of 1 month's duration. The patient had undergone surgical drainage for a deep neck infection with K. pneumoniae 43 days previously. On the present admission, physical examination revealed tenderness over the anterior upper aspect of both thighs, and computed tomography sheaved pneumoretroperitoneum dissecting the bilateral iliopsoas muscles. Parenteral administration of antibiotics was started immediately. Due to the patient's poor health status, we opted for repeated computed tomographic and sonographic-guided percutaneous drainage rather than surgical drainage. Blood and pus cultures revealed only K. pneumoniae. The patient recovered without significant sequelae. This report stresses the risk of metastatic infections caused by K. pneumoniae, especially in diabetic patients. Our experience suggests that repealed percutaneous drainage is feasible in cases of severe iliopsoas abscess, especially when risks associated with surgery are high.