An Atypical Case of Necrotizing Fasciitis of the Breast

Abstract

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare and aggressive soft tissue infection involving the fascia and subcutaneous tissues. It carries a high mortality and morbidity rate. In literature, the few case reports on necrotizing fasciitis of the breast, describe the need for a mastectomy in 90% of the cases. We report on a case of a 72-year old Caucasian women with an atypical presentation of necrotizing fasciitis of the breast in combination with an acute abdomen, successfully treated with breast-conserving debridement and secondary wound closure.