title: Necrotising fasciitis of the thigh secondary to a perforated rectal cancer.
abstract: We report a rare case of rectal cancer presenting with necrotising fasciitis of the posterior thigh. Perforation of a rectal cancer adjacent to the piriformis muscle provided a route for bowel contents to travel into, and contaminate, the posterior compartment of the thigh. This case highlights the need for prompt diagnosis, urgent aggressive surgical debridement and consideration of a rare underlying cause in the management of necrotising fasciitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK. lyndseyhighton@hotmail.com
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Highton
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clover
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Critchley
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D000368:Aged; D019115:Fasciitis, Necrotizing / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000150:complications*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013352:Subcutaneous Emphysema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D013848:Thigh