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Fournier's gangrene complicating aggressive therapy for hematologic malignancy
Author(s) -
Berg Alan,
Armitage James O.,
Burns C. Patrick
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19860615)57:12<2291::aid-cncr2820571210>3.0.co;2-4
Subject(s) - medicine , hematologic malignancy , gangrene , malignancy , hematologic neoplasms , hematologic disease , surgery , dermatology , general surgery , transplantation , disease
The authors describe two cases of Fournier's gangrene complicating aggressive therapy for hematologic malignancies. Fournier's gangrene is a fulminant necrotizing fasciitis of the scrotum and penis, often with an infectious etiology. Only one prior case has been reported in a patient receiving aggressive chemotherapy for a hematologic malignancy. Unique to these three cases was profound granulocytopenia and the culturing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in both the blood and necrotic perineal—scrotal tissue. Maintaining a high index of suspicion with early recognition and aggressive therapy may decrease the morbidity and mortality of this devastating and life‐threatening infection in the compromised host. Cancer 57:2291–2294, 1986.