Necrotizing Fasciitis After Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Rare Case Presentation
Kürşad Aytekin1, Feyza Yildiz Aytekin2
1Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Giresun University, Giresun, Turkey.
Background:
Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a life-threatening disease. Arthroplasty patients with underlying or preexisting conditions and chronic medication use are prone to infection. The current report aimed to present a 53 years old female patient who developed necrotizing fasciitis one month after total hip arthroplasty.
Case Presentation:
On the postoperative 15th day, she had wound discharge. She was given oral anti- biotherapy. At postoperative 1 month, her complaints increased. At emergency service, she experienced extreme pain in her lower extremity with pseudoparalysis, and a hip X-ray revealed gas images. She used prednisolone for 10 years and insulin for 15 years because of pemphigus vulgaris and diabetes mellitus. Clinical and laboratory findings led us to the diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis. Despite aggressive treatment, including debridement, prosthesis removal, and antibiotherapy, unfortunately, the patient died 13 days after admission.
Conclusion:
Patients with an immune suppressive condition, long-term corticosteroid use, or multiple underlying diseases should be closely monitored after total hip arthroplasty surgery to avoid such a devastating complication.
