title: Fatal Fournier's gangrene in a young adult with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: Fournier's gangrene (FG) is a fulminant necrotizing fasciitis of the external genitalia. Few reports of FG exist in patients with hematologic malignancies. We describe a case of fatal FG in a 21-year-old man with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who was receiving remission-induction chemotherapy. Despite early local surgery, administration of appropriate antibiotics, resurgery for wider debridement and aggressive ICU support he succumbed while pancytopenic to septic shock, 26 days after initiation of chemotherapy. Multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from blood and scrotal cultures obtained at initial surgery. FG is a fulminant infection, especially in the face of profound cytopenias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Elpis
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mantadakis
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pontikoglou
authors.forename: Helen A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Papadaki
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aggelidakis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Samonis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D018934:Fournier Gangrene / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010198:Pancytopenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D012611:Scrotum / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents