title: Can paronychia cause a remote necrotizing soft tissue infection?
abstract: Remote necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) resulting from paronychia is very unusual but potentially lethal. We report a case of a 39-year-old woman affected by this unusual infection. The paronychia completely resolved in less than 2 weeks, however, a NSTI involved the right chest and flank and the left thigh. The patient required intensive care and multiple surgical debridements. This recent experience and literature data suggest that paronychia can cause a remote NSTI that can rapidly spread and become life-threatening. Broad spectrum antibiotics and aggressive surgical debridement are essential to a successful outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Julian E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Losanoff
authors.forename: Anne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Missavage
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Linneman
authors.forename: Boyd E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Terry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003646:Debridement; D019115:Fasciitis, Necrotizing / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009336:Necrosis; D010304:Paronychia / Q000150:complications*; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery