Outpatient management of cervical necrotizing fasciitis: A case report and literature review

Abstract

Abstract Cervical necrotizing fasciitis (CNF) is a severe and life-threatening head-and-neck surgical and medical emergency characterized by rapid spreading gangrenous soft-tissue infection. Common debilitating conditions such as chronic malnutrition, uncontrolled diabetes, and others have been implicated in its pathophysiology resulting in serious morbidity and fatality. CNF often mandates aggressive medical and surgical management and prolonged hospitalization, followed by demanding reconstructive rehabilitation. We present the case report of a 25-year-old handicapped female who had a necrotic discharging lesion in the upper neck and was diagnosed with CNF managed successfully as an outpatient with aggressive serial debridement, copious irrigation, and intravenous antibiotics. The aims of this report were to describe the challenges of this management approach vis-a-vis the gold standard in the literature with possibility of exploring the variables that might have contributed to her survival.