Psoas abscess is usually associated with tuberculous spondylitis, but also occurs in relation to inflammatory bowel disease. We present 17 cases of primary pyogenic psoas abscess seen during a 10 year period at the King Fahd Hospital, Al-Khobar. There were 13 males and 4 females with a mean age of 24.9 years (range one to 55 years). Five patients had sickle cell disease. The average delay in presentation was 4.5 weeks (range 2 to 9 weeks). Pyrexia and a painful hip with a flexion deformity were the most obvious signs. The sedimentation rate and white cell count were markedly raised in every case. Staphylococci were cultured in 10 and anaerobic streptococci, salmonella and E coli in 2 each. Ultrasonography, CT and MR imaging were used to confirm the diagnosis. Early recognition and drainage are important to ensure a rapid recovery.