Emergency diagnosis of Fournier's gangrene with bedside ultrasound

Fournier's gangrene is a life-threatening infection of the scrotal skin. Although originally thought to be an idiopathic process, Fournier's gangrene has been shown to have a predilection for patients with diabetes as well as chronic alcohol abuse; however, it can also affect patients with nonobvious immune compromise. Because of potential complications, it is important to diagnose the disease process as early as possible. Ultrasound has been previously described to aid in the diagnosis of Fournier's gangrene. In patients with low to moderate suspicion of Fournier's gangrene, it may provide a rapid and reliable diagnosis and differentiate the pathological process from mimicking entities such as scrotal edema or cellulitis. We present 6 cases of Fournier's gangrene diagnosed in the ED at the patient's bedside using ultrasound. None of the patients had a history of diabetes, and 5 had sources of infection determined. (C) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.