Intraosseous foreign body creating osteolytic bone lesion mimicking malignancy

ABSTRACT

Necrotizing Fasciitis [NF], although uncommon soft tissue infection but it is a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the surgeons due to their higher associated morbidity and mortality. This aggressive infection caused by aerobic and anaerobic infections mainly affects the subcutaneous fat and fascia, and later on the overlying skin, while the underlying muscles are almost always spared. Our objective is to put a plan for optimal care of such patients. The current study reviews our experience with 20 patients of NF admitted and treated at Surgery Department in Shifa Hospital in Gaza during the period from February 1995 to February 2003. They were 12 males and 8 females with a mean of age 53.5 years. After establishment of the diagnosis of NF by clinical examination and intra-operative findings, all the necrotic tissues were debrided under general anesthesia followed by minor debridement as frequent as needed under analgesia, while reconstructive procedures e.g. skin grafting and secondary suturing performed according to the condition. The mean time between the beginning of the disease and the operation was 4.4 days.Among the 20 patients with NF, 13 patients [65%] had diabetes mellitus [D.M.]; the mortality rate between the diabetics was 61.5%. The perineum was the most frequent site for primary infection, eight cases [40%] followed by the valvar region, four cases [20%]. Seven patients died out of the twenty giving a mortality rate of 35% in this study. In Recognition of the need for early diagnosis and surgical treatment of this rapidly progressive surgical infection [NF] is necessary for successful management, especially for patients with perianal or valvar infections