Necrotizing fasciitis: a potentially fatal complication of diabetes mellitus.

We describe a fatal case of necrotizing fasciitis in a newly diagnosed 73-year-old diabetic patient. This rare condition which has been described previously in diabetic patients, is characterized by widespread necrosis of underlying fascial tissue associated with severe systemic upset, despite few overt cutaneous manifestations. Without prompt recognition and extensive debridement it may be fatal.