A Case of Non-Clostridial Gas Gangrane in the Neck

Abstract

A 77-year-old female suffering from gas gangrane in the neck is reported. Insect biting injury was suspected as the primary focus and infection spread over the platysmal muscle and other deep neck spaces with subcutaneal gas production. Therefore this case was regarded as non-clostridial gas gangrane infection. She was treated by drainage, chemotherapy and intensive care in ICU, but she died of complicative pneumonia due to MRSA infection on the 59thy day from insect biting. We reviewed the 33 cases regarding gas gangrane in the head and neck region in Japan from 1931 to 1991 including our case, and found that the incidence of gas gangrane in the head and neck region was not so rare especially after 1983.