Fournier’s Gangrene – A Life Threatening Urological Emergency

Abstract

Fournier’s gangrene ( FG ) is a necrotizing inflammation of the penis, scrotum and perineum subcutaneous tissues, that frequently spreads to the anterior abdominal wall and the upper surfaces of the thighs. Despite being an extremely rare disease, it has a very high mortality rate. It is one of the most difficult emergency conditions in urology. Infec¬tion is the most common cause of Fournier gangrene development. Men who have diabetes, use immunosuppressive therapy or abuse alcohol and steroids are especially vulnerable. Early detection and treatment are critical because the developing infection causes severe necrosis, septic shock and leads to death. Therefore, it is important to correctly diagnose the disease while still in the emergency department or emergency room. A review of the literature on diag¬nosis, therapy, and prognosis, as well as the role of Hospital Emergency Departments in the therapeutic process, was conducted in this review paper.