Necrotising fasciitis caused by P aeruginosa in a male patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
A 53-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and multiple comorbidities presented with a 2-day history of increasing pain and swelling in his left leg following a minor trauma, associated with signs of systemic sepsis and worsening multiorgan failure. The clinical picture was consistent with necrotising fasciitis and he was taken to the theatre for an above-knee amputation. Blood and tissue cultures grew Pseudomonas aeruginosa only, which is very rare as a monomicrobial infection, with relatively few cases being reported in the literature. The combination of aggressive timely surgical intervention, broad-spectrum antibiotics and treatment on the intensive care unit yielded a successful outcome from this acute episode.
Department of General Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, UK. chrisdemmett@doctors.net.uk
Christopher
C
Emmett
Grant
G
Kane
D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019115:Fasciitis, Necrotizing / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification*