Fatal subcutaneous aspergillosis following necrotizing fasciitis: a case report

Skin or subcutaneous infection with aspergillus is uncommon. It has been described in disseminated aspergillosis, as localized infection in the immunocompromised host and as a complication of trauma and burns. Described in this paper is a diabetic patient who developed a fatal Aspergillus infection following debridement of a necrotizing fasciitis. "Fruiting bodies," rarely found in vivo, were seen on pathologic examination of subcutaneous tissue. Her course was similar to that of burn patients with invasive fungal disease, where mortality is high and radical debridement is the only chance for cure.