Bacteraemic necrotizing fasciitis with compartment syndrome caused by non-O1 Vibrio cholerae

Non-O1 Vibrio cholerae are gram-negative rods that can cause sporadic gastroenteritis, bacteraemia, and extraintestinal infections, primarily following the consumption of raw seafood or exposure of damaged skin to contaminated saltwater during the summer months. Bacteraemic necrotizing fasciitis caused by non-O1 V. cholerae has rarely been reported. Liver cirrhosis, haemochromatosis, and immunosuppression are important factors contributing to the severity of the infections and outcome. This report describes a case of liver cirrhosis in which right lower leg compartment syndrome and acute renal failure presented as the initial symptoms of bacteraemic necrotizing fasciitis. The organisms growing in the wound and blood cultures were identified as non-O1 V. cholerae. After antibiotic therapy, fasciotomy, right above-knee amputation, repeat debridement of the left lower leg and split-thickness skin grafts, the patient was eventually discharged in a stable condition. (c) 2006 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All tights reserved.