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Published on: February 20, 2020

A case of necrotising fasciitis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A S Lota1, F Altaf, R Shetty

  • 1Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS FoundationTrust, Reading, England.

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British Volume
|February 5, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Necrotising fasciitis is a severe soft-tissue infection. This case highlights an exceptionally rare Pseudomonas aeruginosa monomicrobial necrotising fasciitis in a patient with prostate cancer metastasis.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Surgical Complications
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Necrotising fasciitis is a severe, rapidly progressing soft-tissue infection with high mortality.
  • Monomicrobial necrotising fasciitis is rare, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections being exceptionally uncommon.

Observation:

  • A patient with metastatic prostate cancer developed necrotising fasciitis following spinal decompression surgery.
  • The presentation was atypical, complicating diagnosis and treatment.

Findings:

  • The patient succumbed to the infection, indicating a fatal outcome.
  • This case represents one of the few documented instances of monomicrobial necrotising fasciitis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the importance of considering rare pathogens in severe soft-tissue infections, especially in immunocompromised patients.
  • It highlights potential complications following spinal surgery in cancer patients.
  • Further research into Pseudomonas aeruginosa necrotising fasciitis pathogenesis and treatment is warranted.

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