Necrotizing Fasciitis of the Perineum and the Abdominal Wall-Surgical Approach

• Published in: European journal of trauma and emergency surgery (Munich : 2007) Vol. 34; no. 3; pp. 219 - 228
• Main Authors: Ecker, Karl-Wilhelm, Baars, Andreas, Töpfer, John, Frank, Johannes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Munich Urban & Vogel 01.06.2008; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bacteria; Clinical outcomes; Critical Care Medicine; Emergency medical care; Emergency Medicine; Focus on Necrotizing Fasciitis; Infections; Intensive; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Sports Medicine; Surgery; Surgical Orthopedics; Surgical techniques; Traumatic Surgery; Soft tissue gangrene; Radical surgical excision; Intensive care; Plastic reconstruction; Synergistic bacterial infection; Necrotizing fasciitis
• ISSN: 1863-9933; 1863-9941
• DOI: 10.1007/s00068-008-8072-2

Necrotizing fasciitis is a synergistic aerobical-anaerobical infection that rapidly spreads from its origin leading to foudroyant increasing soft tissue gangrene and systemic sepsis. In the perineal, perianal and genital regions it is referred to as Fournier's gangrene constituting a clinical entity with the gangrene of the abdominal wall. After a short presentation of the own experience with 17 patients the surgical approach to the life-threatening disease is presented reviewing the former and the recent literature. There is a worldwide consensus that immediate radical excision of the gangrene should be accompanied by intensive care measures. Functional and cosmetic defects are to be reconstructed in a second stage. However, morbidity and mortality remain high in spite of consequent treatment due to often associated significant co-morbidity of affected patients.