Necrotising soft tissue infections as a complication of chickenpox.

Varicella gangrenosum, in which a necrotising soft tissue infection complicates the vesicular eruption of chickenpox, is rare. The condition may have devastating sequelae including disseminated intravascular coagulation and death. Survival is dependent on early diagnosis, adequate antibiotic coverage and, particularly, early surgical debridement. Three cases of varying severity are presented here together with a review of the available literature.