Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.
2002 Apr;45(4):416-421.
Three Cases of Cervical Necrotizing Fasciitis
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. otojun@cmc.cuk.ac.kr
Abstract
- Cervical necrotizing fasciitis (CNF) is an uncommon infection of the subcutaneous soft tissue and fascia. If proper treatment is delayed, the infection may cause extensive necrosis of overlying skin, extend to deeper planes and produce severe systemic toxicity. So an early diagnosis and a radical debridement of the affected tissue is imperative; however, the onset is often insidious in the form of nonspecific regional neck swelling, erythema and fever, rendering clinical distinction from more benign inflammatory conditions of the neck, such as cellulitis, may be impossible at an early stage. We present a series of 3 patients with CNF, each of whom had different clinical courses. One patient, with significant cormobidity at the time of presentation, died of CNF.
