Abstract
Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is an uncommon soft-tissue infection in children that carries a high mortality rate. We present a 15-year-old girl with chronic pancytopenia secondary to Fanconi anaemia who developed extensive NF of the lower limb, which unfortunately resulted in a fatal outcome. Immunodeficiency is a known risk factor for the development of this condition. The findings in this case demonstrate that patients with Fanconi anaemia may be susceptible to NF and that the clinical course may be more aggressive due to underlying immunosuppression. Prompt diagnosis of NF is vital in order to initiate appropriate treatment and to optimize patient outcome. Radiological investigation demonstrated extensive soft-tissue gas and destruction affecting the entire lower limb, abdominal wall and retroperitoneum, which led to timely definitive diagnosis and management.
References
Fustes-Morales A, Gutierrez-Castrellon P, Duran-Mckinster C et al (2002) Necrotizing fasciitis: report of 39 pediatric cases. Arch Dermatol 138:893–899
Duncan BW, Adzick S, deLorimier AA et al (1992) Necrotizing fasciitis in two children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Pediatr Surg 27:668–671
Moss RL, Musemeche CA, Kosloske AM (1996) Necrotizing fasciitis in children: prompt recognition and aggressive therapy improve survival. J Pediatr Surg 31:1142–1146
Edlich RF, Cross CL, Dahlstrom JJ et al (2008) Modern concepts of the diagnosis and treatment of necrotizing fasciitis. J Emerg Med. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2008.06.024
Yen ZS, Wang HP, Ma HM et al (2002) Ultrasonographic screening of clinically-suspected necrotizing fasciitis. Acad Emerg Med 9:1448–1451
Wysoki MG, Santora TA, Shah RM et al (1997) Necrotizing fasciitis: CT characteristics. Radiology 203:859–863
Meetei AR, Levitus M, Xue Y et al (2004) X-linked inheritance of Fanconi anemia complementation group B. Nat Genet 36:1219–1224
Woodburn KR, Ramsay G, Gillespie G et al (1992) Retroperitoneal necrotizing fasciitis. Br J Surg 79:342–344
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
O’Regan, K., O’Mahony, E., MacEneaney, P. et al. Fulminant limb and retroperitoneal necrotizing fasciitis in a 15-year-old girl with Fanconi anaemia. Pediatr Radiol 39, 1095–1097 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-009-1324-4
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-009-1324-4