Necrotizing fasciitis caused by Serratia marcescens: a fatal complication of nephrotic syndrome.

Necrotizing fasciitis is an uncommon complication of nephrotic syndrome. There have been only four cases of necrotizing fasciitis complicating nephrotic syndrome reported in the English literature. We report a 40-year-old woman with minimal-change nephrotic syndrome receiving cyclosporine therapy, who suffered from necrotizing fasciitis of her left leg. Cultures of blood and surgical specimens yielded Serratia marcescens. Despite aggressive treatment, the patient expired shortly after surgery. We review the literature and find eight cases of necrotizing fasciitis caused by S. marcescens. Most of these patients had an immunocompromised background, and the mortality rate was high.