title: [Harmless or life threatening? Properly assessing soft tissue infections].
abstract: Soft tissue infections are highly diverse in presentation, and their severity is readily underestimated. Classifications in the literature are not uniform. Clinically, a recommended classification is based on the spread of the infection into deeper regions: superficial and deep soft tissue infections. Superficial infections, that is, those confined to the cutis and subcutis, include furuncles, erysipelas and phlegmons (acute suppurative inflammation). The second group--infection affecting fascia and muscle--include both classical gas gangrene and necrotizing fasciitis which, despite aggressive treatment, are associated with a high mortality rate. The present review shows the classification and differential diagnosis of these infections.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Allgemeine Chirurgie mit Poliklinik, Chirurgische Klinik, Universität Freiburg. schoeffl@ch11.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sendt
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schöffel
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019115:Fasciitis, Necrotizing / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy