Clinical Features

Active Disease – though insidious acute symptoms may appear

1. Malaise, loss of appetite, loss of weight, evening rise of temperature, night sweats
Signs
- Stiff
- Painful on movement
- Localized kyphotic deformity
- Spasm of vertebral muscles. During sleep the muscles relax permitting movement between the
inflamed surfaces resulting in night cries.
- Cold abscess may be present
Presence and spread of abscess
a. Anterior / posterior cervical traingles
b. Brachial plexus in the axilla
c. Intercoastal space of the chest wall
d. Paraspinal muscles
Abscess from the dorsal or dorsolumbar area
- Iliac fossa
- Lumbar triangle
- Upper part of thigh beneath the inguinal ligament
- Up to the knee
Psoas abscess can give rise to pseudo-hip flexion deformity – no limitation of external and internal
rotation with hip flexed
- Associated with detectable tuberculous lesion from D10 to the sacrum, SI joint, pelvic bones and
hip joint
- The psoas abscess is actually iliac abscess