Giant retroperitoneal abscess secondary to prosthetic hip infection: A case report

Abstract

Introduction Buccodental infection is a frequent cause for hematogenous infection of a hip prosthesis. Common symptoms in these cases are pain and functional impotence of the hip, occasionally associated to fever and generalized discomfort. Normally the infection evolves towards cutaneous fistulization. Clinical case We present the case of a 62-year-old male with a hip prosthesis admitted for atypical lumbar pain irradiated to the thigh. Once spinal injury was ruled out, the pain was found to stem from an abscess in the iliac muscle associated with an infection in the patient's hip prosthesis. The patient had sustained a buccodental infection one month before. Discussion Hematogenous infection of a buccodental origin constitutes a frequent cause of late prosthetic infection. Fistulization in the retroperitoneal area is uncommon, as is acute presentation with few infection indicators.