Necrotizing fasciitis: report of 39 pediatric cases.

BACKGROUND: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a severe, life-threatening soft tissue infection. General features and risk factors for fatal outcome in children are not well known.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the features of NF in children and the risk factors for fatal outcome.

DESIGN: Retrospective, comparative, observational, and longitudinal trial.

SETTING: Dermatology department of a tertiary care pediatric hospital.

PATIENTS: All patients with clinical and/or histopathological diagnosis of NF seen from January 1, 1971, through December 31, 2000.

MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLES: Incidence, age, sex, number and location of lesions, preexisting conditions, initiating factors, clinical and laboratory features, diagnosis at admission, treatment, evolution, sequelae, and risk factors for fatal outcome.

RESULTS: We examined 39 patients with NF (0.018% of all hospitalized patients). Twenty-one patients (54%) were boys. Mean age was 4.4 years. Single lesions were seen in 30 (77%) of patients, with 21(54%) in extremities. The most frequent preexisting condition was malnutrition in 14 patients (36%). The most frequent initiating factor was varicella in 13 patients (33%). Diagnosis of NF at admission was made in 11 patients (28%). Bacterial isolations in 24 patients (62%) were polymicrobial in 17 (71%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most frequently isolated bacteria; gram-negative isolates, the most frequently associated bacteria. Complications were present in 33 patients (85%), mortality in 7 (18%), and sequelae in 29 (91%) of 32 surviving patients. The significant risk factor related to a fatal outcome was immunosuppression.

CONCLUSIONS: Necrotizing fasciitis in children is frequently misdiagnosed, and several features differ from those of NF in adults. Immunosuppression was the main factor related to death. Early surgical debridement and antibiotics were the most important therapeutic measures.