[Necrotizing fasciitis]

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare but always life-threatening disease, which necessitates a rapid diagnosis and immediate treatment. It can occur on the extremities as well as on the trunk and the perineum. It spreads rapidly along the fascia leading to septic shock. The mortality rate under intensive care treatment is approximately 20%. The pathogen spectrum ranges from mixed bacterial infections to group A streptococci, clostridia and fungi. Clinically, the discrepancy between skin affection and systemic disease symptoms is remarkable. The diagnosis is primarily clinical and the key to successful treatment is rapid and radical surgical debridement combined with broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy under intensive patient monitoring.