Treatment, outcome and quality of life after F ournier's gangrene: a multicentre study

Aim The object of this study was to describe the course of F ournier's gangrene and assess quality of life in a group of affected patients. Method We evaluated patients who received inpatient treatment for F ournier's gangrene at five hospitals in northern G ermany from 1995 to 2010. Surviving patients were asked to take part in a clinical follow‐up and complete the S hort‐ F orm 36 ( SF ‐36) quality‐of‐life questionnaire and a disease‐specific questionnaire including a physical examination. Results Of the 86 patients, 72 (83.7%) were men. The mean age of the patients was 57.9 ± 13.9 (25–89) years. The mean length of hospital stay was 52.0 ± 54.0 (1–329) days. Fourteen (16.3%) patients (eight men) died primarily from Fournier's gangrene. The most common aetiological event was anogenital abscess formation ( n  =   24; 27.9%). Seventy‐one (82.5%) patients had a mixed polymicrobial infection. SF ‐36 physical role functioning ( P   =   0.010), physical functioning ( P   =   0.008), general health ( P   =   0.010) and physical health summary ( P   =   0.006) scores were significantly lower than those of the normal population. Deterioration in sexual function was reported by 65% of the patients. Conclusion Patients with F ournier's gangrene experience persistent physical and mental health problems for a long period of time following their primary hospital stay and must receive long‐term care from a variety of specialists, otherwise the disease leads to an increase in the duration of morbidity and a decrease in quality of life.