Diagnosing Fournier’s Gangrene
The diagnosis of Fournier’s Gangrene is often made upon the clinical presentation alone. This means a doctor should be able to make an accurate assessment based upon a patient’s symptoms.
Normally a patient will seek medical attention complaining of a severe pain in the genital area. Often there is no explanation for this pain, or it is totally disproportionate to the injury that has been sustained. This may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms and tissue that is red and hot to touch.
When a patient presents with these problems, alarm bells should start ringing in the minds of medical professionals. These symptoms are indicative of infection, especially of Fournier’s Gangrene. Tests should then be carried out to confirm or rule out this putative diagnosis. This should involve:
- A urine test to check for signs of infection
- Sending a swab to a microbiologist for testing
- A physical examination to check for skin discolouration and necrosis
If a patient’s symptoms, test results and examination all point towards Fournier’s Gangrene, urgent imaging tests should be carried out. This may involve a CT scan or an ultrasound scan. If this verifies the presence of Fournier’s Gangrene, treatment must be provided as soon as possible.
Why is a quick diagnosis so important?
These steps must be completed with a sense of urgency as Fournier’s Gangrene is a medical emergency. This means it must be treated shortly after the onset of symptoms if serious complications are to be avoided.
Therefore if there is any suspicion whatsoever that Fournier’s Gangrene is present, a patient should undergo immediate tests. Otherwise the infection will rapidly spread and a large area of necrotic tissue will develop. The infection may even get into the blood. This is called sepsis and can lead to multi-system organ failure, which can be fatal.
Misdiagnosis of Fournier’s Gangrene
But unfortunately Fournier’s Gangrene is often mistaken for a more minor condition, including a urinary tract infection and a sexually transmitted disease.
Often this happens because a doctor does not have sufficient medical knowledge and thus is not aware of Fournier’s Gangrene, or because the necessary diagnostic tests are not carried out. Either way, a misdiagnosis of Fournier’s Gangrene will be very dangerous for the patient whose condition will quickly decline.
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