Management of Fournier’s Gangrene in a Low Resource Setting

Abstract

BACKGROUND Fournier's gangrene (FG) represents a necrotizing infection of the skin and subcutaneous soft tissue of the external genitalia and perineum. [1,2] In 1764, Baurienne first described this condition, but in 1883, Jean Alfred Fournier defined it as an idiopathic, rapidly fulminating infection in previously healthy young patients and pointed out the known predisposing factors for the development of this type of gangrene. [1][2][3][4][5] Mortality ranges from 0 to 67% in some series (FG 5-7).Necrotizing fasciitis in the region of the perineum and genitalia should be termed FG, regardless of the etiology or the presence of infection because the prognosis and treatment are the same. [6]