Gas-containing iliopsoas bursitis in the setting of degenerative osteoarthritis

Abstract

This is a case of a 77-year-old woman with a 4.0 cm gas-containing iliopsoas bursa collection in the setting of mild-to-moderate degenerative joint disease. Given the limited extent of this patient’s osteoarthritis and the absence of infectious signs or symptoms, both of which are typically related to gas collections at the hip, it was difficult to determine the aetiology of the patient’s gas collection, whether it was related to her pain, and how best to manage her symptoms. Even in the setting of her MRI findings, which showed the gas collection lifting the iliopsoas tendon off the bone, the gas-containing bursa ultimately appeared to be a minor component of the patient’s pain and definitive treatment of her underlying joint disease with a total hip arthroplasty allowed for successful pain management. Our case report demonstrates an unusual presentation of iliopsoas bursitis with a surprising response to medical, interventional and surgical management.