Necrotizing soft-tissue infections in the head and neck: a clinicopathological study.

The clinicopathological aspects of 15 patients with necrotizing soft-tissue infections in the head and neck are reviewed. Our relatively large series suggests that the disease occurs more frequently than described in the literature. Histological studies showed that tissue superficial and deep to the fascia is frequently involved with the infectious inflammatory process, even in early stages of the disease. These pathologic changes were also found in healthy-appearing tissues at the periphery of the lesions. The early recognition of the disease and the prompt and aggressive surgical and medical therapeutic approach have resulted in far lower mortality rates (7%) than those reported in the literature. Frozen-section examination contributed to the maximal eradication of the pathologic process. This successful outcome was achieved in spite of the adverse associated clinical conditions, such as old age, debilitating disease, or complications, observed in half of the patients.