Acta otorrinolaringológica española
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Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp · Aug 1997
Case Reports[Necrotizing fasciitis of the head and neck. Report of 4 cases of cervical necrotizing fasciitis].
Necrotizing fasciitis is a severe polybacteria infection characterised by necrosis of the fascial and adjacent soft tissues with rapid expansion of the infection along fascial planes. It may originate potentially fatal complications and often is accompanied by systemic toxicity. It is not a frequent entity in the head and neck, but early diagnosis is very important because early treatment based on intravenous antibiotherapy and aggressive surgical debridement can prevent complications that often cause the death of the patient. Pour reports of necrotizing fasciitis are presented, one of them with fatal outcome, which leads us to emphasize the importance of an early diagnosis.