ILIOPSOAS COMPARTMENT - NORMAL ANATOMY AND PATHOLOGICAL PROCESSES

The iliopsoas compartment is an extraperitoneal space that contains th e greater psoas, smaller psoas, and iliac muscles, Many pathologic pro cesses may involve the iliopsoas compartment, including inflammatory, hemorrhagic, and neoplastic conditions, Psoas muscle infection is usua lly due to direct extension from contiguous structures, With the decre asing incidence of tuberculosis, the majority of psoas abscesses now e ncountered have a pyogenic origin, Hemorrhage into the psoas muscle ca n be spontaneous or secondary to various conditions. Neoplastic involv ement of the psoas muscle is usually due to contiguous spread and is r arely primary, With the refinement of imaging modalities, there has be en increased recognition of diseases that involve the iliopsoas compar tment. Although these conditions may look similar radiologically, they can be correctly diagnosed by combining the radiologic findings with the clinical history, Biopsy is effective in diagnosis of such conditi ons; aspiration and drainage are effective in both diagnosis and thera py.