Fournier's gangrene.

Over a 5-year period 43 men with severe classic Fournier's gangrene of the scrotum and perineum and in some cases of the abdominal wall were treated at King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban. There were 8 deaths, an overall mortality rate of 18,6%. The mortality rate was high (33%) when associated with diabetes mellitus and lower (14,7%) among non-diabetic patients. There was also an increased mortality rate when there was a delay in presentation (of over 6 days in the case of all the patients who later died). We have adopted a policy of aggressive surgical debridement and frequent revision, coupled with the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.