Successful treatment of perineal necrotising fasciitis and associated pubic bone osteomyelitis with the vacuum assisted closure system

• Published in: World journal of surgical oncology Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 67
• Main Authors: Kumar, Susim, O'Donnell, Mark E, Khan, Khalid, Dunne, Gillian, Carey, P Declan, Lee, Jack
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 24.06.2008; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Case Report; Case studies; Debridement; Diagnosis; Fasciitis, Necrotizing - surgery; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Middle Aged; Necrotizing fasciitis; Osteomyelitis; Osteomyelitis - etiology; Osteomyelitis - surgery; Perineum - injuries; Perineum - surgery; Pubic Bone - pathology; Risk factors; Vacuum; Wound Healing; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 1477-7819; 1477-7819
• DOI: 10.1186/1477-7819-6-67

Acute necrotising fasciitis is a life-threatening condition, which requires urgent surgical intervention. Surgical debridement is invariably associated with large areas of tissue loss. We present a 58-year old woman with a past history of cervical carcinoma who presented with necrotising fasciitis of the perineum and upper thighs with associated pubic bone osteomyelitis. Following extensive debridement, a Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) system was applied to the large residual defect to facilitate skin graft application and optimise wound healing. This case demonstrates the successful management of a complex and potentially lethal wound of the perineum with debridement, skin grafting and the VAC system.