Fournier's Gangrene: a clinical and bacteriological study

Bacteriological studies were conducted in patients presenting with Fournier's Gangrene (FG) in our Department during a period of 11 years. These studies showed high numbers of anaerobes (96%) and the ratio of aerobes to anaerobes was reported to be 1.4: 3.2. Among the anaerobes,Peptostreptococci, Bacteroides and Prevotella were more frequently isolated. The predominant facultative aerobic microorganisms were Streptococci and Escherichia coli. Clinical investigation showed necrotic cellulitis and fasciitis of the scrotum due to mixed aerobic-anaerobic infection. Patients with complicated paraproctitis and periurethral abscesses and urinary phlegmones who also presented with symptoms of FG were treated during this same period. Microbiological studies gave similar results and clinical studies showed that the process had spread to the scrotum. The question was then raised whether FG should be diagnosed as an independent nosological entity in cases where the underlying cause of the disease was obscure or if FG should be the result of different pathological processes which occurred within the scrotal surfaces. In other cases, FG is secondary and occurred after reaching the scrotum per continuitatem.