[Fournier's gangrene]

Today Fournier's gangrene ranks among necrotizing fasciitis. Most of the cases reveal the origin of the disease (proctogenic, urologic, gynecologic). Untreated, the polybacterial synergistic infection will overwhelmingly spread along anatomically defined fascias of the pelvic floor. Thus the lethality rate is high, especially in patients with risk factors i.e. diabetes, alcoholism, arterial occlusive disease, chronic consumptive disorders and obesity. Only by instant and radical surgical excision of the total gangrenous tissue the spreading of the disease and the developing of sepsis can be stopped together with calculated antibiotic therapy and intensive care. Mutilating operations (i.e. penectomy, orchiectomy) are seldom necessary; thus plastic reconstructions will show good results both in function and cosmetic. Based on the experience with 6 patients, a pathogenic concept, concerning both diagnosis and therapy, is presented: after radical emergency surgery in the first risky stage, an elective approach can safely be performed in a second stage for the repair of functional lesions.