Fournier’s Gangrene – Medical and Surgical Considerations

There is a consensus to consider Founier’s Gangrene a form of necrotizing fascitis that typically starts in the perineal region, but can involves to genital, perianal or surroundings structures. Although is typically described in men, it can also affect women and, very rarely, children. A synergistic infective process is allways present triggering to thrombosis of the subcutaneous blood vessels, developing a gangrene of the skin and later of deeper nearby tissues. Local edema and specially hypoxia affects local blood supply. This situation offers an ideal medium for growth to aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and sometimes causing typical crepitation. The local process is associated with severe systemic manifestations usually related to endotoxin liberation Rapidly dispersion of the infection may cause the death of the patient up to 45% of cases.