Acute iliac adenitis, or inflammation in the iliac lymph glands, presents a clinical picture which is not as uncommon as its lack of recognition would indicate. The disease usually occurs in children or in young adults. It is characterized by a history of cutaneous infection or of trauma of the lower extremity or abdomen which precedes by two or three weeks the appearance of a large, hard, tender, fixed mass in the iliac fossa. There are pain, fever, leukocytosis and spasm of the psoas muscle producing flexion deformity of the thigh.
The purpose of this study is (1) to review the scanty literature, (2) to present the report of a series of 18 cases and (3) to give a clear and comprehensive description of this seldom correctly diagnosed clinical entity.
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE听
Abrille1 in 1854 reported 8 cases of suppuration in the retroperitoneal tissues. At that time