Late presentation of infection as a complication of Dwyer anterior spinal instrumentation.

Delayed presentation of infection is a rare complication of anterior instrumentation and fusion for scoliosis. Three cases that followed the Dwyer procedure are reported. Pain was absent in these patients, but mild constitutional symptoms were present. An elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is an important indicator of this complication. Two patients developed groin abscesses and sinuses as the hallmark of deep infection. Infection resolved after removal of instrumentation and local debridement.