[The necrotizing fasciitis of the leg in diabetic patients]

The necrotizing fasciitis is a life threatening disease, since its mortality reaches 30-35%, in different studies. In diabetic patients, the incidence and severity of this illness are even higher. The authors present a series of 39 diabetic patients with necrotizing fasciitis of the leg, which were operated between 2001 and 2006 in the Surgical Department of "Dr. I. Cantacuzino" Clinical Hospital, from Bucharest. It is emphasized the importance of a complete diagnosis and the surgical treatment of all the suppurative processes. Sometimes, more than one procedure is required, in order to achieve this goal. In our series, 20 patients needed one operation, while 19 were operated for several times (2-6). The mortality rate was 20.6% and the average length of stay--22.6 days. It is presented the case of a 61 years male, with an unbalanced type II diabetes mellitus and an extensive necrotizing fasciitis of the thigh. The therapeutic attitude consisted in 6 consecutive surgical procedures (drainage, necrosectomy, large fasciectomy), which allowed a favourable evolution and the healing of the patient.