Necrotizing fasciitis of the upper extremity.

The standard treatment of necrotizing fasciitis is early recognition and early surgical debridement of all necrotic tissues. The use of antibiotics alone does not prove to be effective unless coupled with aggressive surgical treatment. We present a case of necrotizing fasciitis of unknown cause in a child. Although the only treatment was IV antibiotics and fasciotomy without any debridement, the patient survived the disease with minimal morbidity.