Clinical relevance of the LRINEC (Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis) score for assessment of early necrotizing fasciitis.
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We present a 20-month-old boy with a rapid growing occipital mass after head trauma, that was pathologically diagnosed as cranial fasciitis. Cranial fasciitis, first described as a specific entity by Lauer and Enzinger in 1980, is a benign fibroblastic lesion occurring in children that resembles nodular fasciitis pathologically. Nodular fasciitis also shows benign proliferation of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in the subcutaneous tissues. This disease was firstly reported in 1955. This lesion is arising in the upper and lower extremities and trunk in adult commonly. The rapid growth, abundant cellularity, and mitotic activity cause these lesions to be misdiagnosed as sarcomas frequently. However, these lesions recur rarely, do not develop metastases, and are readily cured only by surgical excision. Cranial fasciitis is similar to nodular fasciitis in clinical cause and pathology. Therefore cranial fasciitis should be considered a variant of nodular fasciitis, although it differs from noduler fasciitis in its frequent site and age. Cranial fasciitis occurs in skull bone and in childhood. The cause of them are still unknown. However, we speculate on the relationship between head trauma and cranial fasciitis making reference to the fact that 5-15% of nodular fasciitis were caused by trauma. So we investigated this relationship in cranial fasciitis, then 8 cases of 40 cases(20%), that we could trace in the world literatures, had histories of previous head trauma. From this result, head trauma is one of a cause of cranial fasciitis probably.
Fasciitis of various types constitutes a distinctive category of soft tissue lesions whose microscopic features are known for their potential to evoke a pathological diagnosis of one or another type of sarcoma. Nodular fasciitis is the archetype of this group of "fibrous tumors." Cranial fasciitis is considered a nonneoplastic lesion similar to nodular fasciitis, which is seen almost exclusively in infants and children and has unique clinicopathologic features. The current study documents our experience with fibrous-myofibroblastic proliferations in extracranial sites, mainly in the head and neck region of young children, whose histological features resemble those of cranial fasciitis. These lesions were composed of loosely arranged spindle to stellate cells in a myxoid background. One patient in the study had both cranial and extracranial involvement. Some histological overlap between nodular fasciitis and cranial-extracranial fasciitis was noted, but the latter lesion tended to be more uniform in appearance than nodular fasciitis with its fascicular, spindle cell features and variability in histological patterns within the same lesion, unlike the more consistently uniform myxoid appearance of the cranial and extracranial lesions. Immunohistochemically, the spindle cells of the extracranial lesions and the one case of cranial fasciitis co-expressed vimentin and smooth muscle actin. The extracranial lesions had a predilection for children in the first year of life with all cases occurring at or before 2 years of age, unlike nodular fasciitis, which is rarely seen in the first 4 to 5 years of life. The cranial and extracranial fasciitides should be differentiated from the fibromatoses that tend to locally recur, unlike the nonrecurring behavior of these lesions in common with the other types of fasciitis.
BACKGROUND: Nodular fasciitis is characterized by a proliferation of spindle cells which may be misdiagnosed as sarcomas due to the rich cellularity, mitotic activity and variant morphologic patterns. METHODS: This report includes 42 cases of nodular fasciitis and related conditions of skin and soft tissue from the pathology files of the Royal Brisbane Hospital, Queensland, Australia. There were 33 cases of nodular fasciitis, three cases of ossifying fasciitis, three cases of proliferative fasciitis, two cases of proliferative myositis and one case of intravascular fasciitis. Two-thirds of cases were referred from outside Royal Brisbane Hospital. RESULTS: Nodular fasciitis and ossifying occurred most commonly in young adults with 16 patients (44%) between the ages of 20 and 29. However, the other variants of nodular fasciitis including proliferative myositis and intravascular fasciitis occurred in older people (six patients being older than 49 years) and more commonly occurring in men (n=5). A painless rapidly growing mass was most common. The lesions of nodular fasciitis were most often located in the upper extremity with the forearm most commonly affected. CONCLUSIONS: Nodular fasciitis and related conditions are benign. All patients are alive and well 3 months to 13 years (mean 7.2 years) after simple local resection.
A rare case of cranial fasciitis in a 1-year-old boy arising in the temporoparietal bone has been described. In 1990, Lauer and Endinger first reported cranial fasciitis, which is a benign subcutaneous tumor of the head developing from the deep fascia or the cranial periosteum and showing a pathological finding characterized by proliferation of fibroblasts. They described this tumor as "cranial fasciitis of childhood" in view of a high incident in infants and child. Cranial fasciitis grows rapidly in the scalp without pain, but its mean size is 2.5-3cm. Cranial fasciitis is closely related a clinical course and pathological findings to nodular fasciitis, which is also a benign proliferative fibroblast tumor developing from the subcutaneous muscular layers of the trunk and extremities (especially, the forearms), which was reported by Konwaler in 1955. However, cranial fasciitis differs from nodular fasciitis in that it is associated with the skull bone and, in many cases, the tumor destroys the inner and outer table of the skull and adheres to the dura mater. Cranial fasciitis should be considered to be a variant of nodular fasciitis. Neurosurgeons should be aware of this entity in the differential diagnosis of a firm lesion of the scalp in children. A brief review of the literature disclosed only 17 cases in the world. This case report is the first one of cranial fasciitis in Japan.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term efficacy of steroid injection for plantar fasciitis using clinical parameters and high-resolution ultrasonography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty patients (27 female and three male) with plantar fasciitis and 30 healthy controls matched by age, gender and body mass index (BMI), were enrolled in this study. Seventeen of the patients had bilateral and 13 had unilateral (six right, seven left) plantar fasciitis. Palpation-guided steroid injection was applied to the 47 heels of 30 plantar fasciitis patients. Ultrasound examination and pain intensity with visual analog scale (VAS) were assessed three times in each plantar fasciitis patients; before injection and at 1 and 6 months after steroid injection. Ultrasonography was performed to the controls at initial assessment. RESULTS: The plantar fascia was remarkably thicker in the plantar fasciitis group than in controls (P < 0.001). The thickness of the plantar fascia and mean VAS values in the plantar fasciitis group decreased significantly 1 month after steroid injection (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively) and a further decrease was noted 6 months postinjection (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). Strong correlation was found between the changes of plantar fascia thickness and VAS values 1 month after (P < 0.001, r: 0.61) and 6 months after (P < 0.001, r: 0.49) steroid injection. The incidence of hypoechoic fascia was 73% in the plantar fasciitis group before steroid injection. It decreased significantly at 1 and 6 months postinjection (33% and 7%, respectively, P < 0.001). Gross fascia disruption or other side effects were not observed after steroid injection. CONCLUSION: Steroid injection could be used in plantar fasciitis treatment for its positive long-term effects.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: A delay in the diagnosis and appropriate treatment of necrotizing fasciitis has clearly been demonstrated to increase mortality. However, paucity of specific cutaneous signs makes early recognition extremely difficult. This review highlights recent developments in the approaches to the diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis. RECENT FINDINGS: A clinical staging of necrotizing fasciitis is proposed to better define the progression of the disease. Several clinical subtypes of necrotizing fasciitis have been described recently with hyperacute and sub-acute variants. Imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging and frozen section biopsies, have been reported to be of value in the early recognition of necrotizing fasciitis. However availability and cost limit the routine use of these tests. Several diagnostic adjuncts that have been developed recently to help in early recognition will be discussed. These include the fasciitis LRINEC (laboratory risk indicator for necrotizing fasciitis) score and transcutaneous tissue oxygen saturation monitoring. Some may have the potential for widespread application in the assessment of severe soft tissue infections. SUMMARY: Delayed recognition, with consequent massive soft tissue loss and sepsis, remains a deadly pitfall in the management of necrotizing fasciitis. With a better understanding of the clinical manifestations and the potential use and limitations of various diagnostic adjuncts available for the assessment of equivocal cases of soft tissue infections, it is hoped that a clear and logical approach to the diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis may be developed.
BACKGROUND: Plantar fasciitis is a common foot disorder that impacts many functional activities. Research that quantifies the impact that plantar fasciitis has on function is lacking. In addition, little is known about which variables are associated with disability in patients with plantar fasciitis. The first purpose of this study was to determine if age, gender, body mass index, pain intensity, chronicity of symptoms, or ankle dorsiflexion range of motion was associated with disability in patients with plantar fasciitis. The second purpose was to describe the impact that plantar fasciitis has on functional status in the context of five functional domains: household activities of daily living, usual work and hobbies, nonweightbearing activities, walking-related activities, and running-related activities. METHODS: Fifty consecutive patients diagnosed with unilateral plantar fasciitis were recruited. Demographic and impairment data were collected and all patients completed the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), a validated self-report measure of disability. Multiple regression analysis was used to describe the association between the variables and disability. Graphs depicting five domains of function derived from the LEFS were generated to describe the extent of disability. RESULTS: Body mass index (BMI) was the only variable that was significantly associated with disability (F = 9.87, p =.003). Measures of pain intensity, ankle dorsiflexion, age, gender, chronicity, and time spent weightbearing were not related to disability. Plantar fasciitis showed distinct patterns of disability depending on the functional domain that was assessed. CONCLUSIONS: With the exception of BMI, impairment and demographic variables do not predict the extent of functional loss in patients with plantar fasciitis. The most likely domains of function to be at least moderately affected in patients with plantar fasciitis are running-related activities and usual work or hobbies.
STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVE: To determine if a difference exists in toe flexors strength and passive extension range of motion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint between individuals with unilateral plantar fasciitis and control subjects. BACKGROUND: Weakness of the dynamic longitudinal arch supporters and shortening of the plantar fascia have been suggested as etiologic factors for plantar fasciitis. METHOD AND MEASURES: Twenty subjects with unilateral plantar fasciitis participated in the study. Subjects had had symptoms for an average (+/-SD) of 19.9 +/- 33.2 months prior to participating in the study. Twenty control subjects matched for sex and age were also tested. Each subject was measured bilaterally for passive extension range of motion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint and peak resistance force observed during an isometric test of toe flexors strength. RESULTS: Subjects with unilateral plantar fasciitis demonstrated weaker toe flexors (P<.05) than the control subjects. A significant main effect for feet also indicated that the toe flexors for the involved feet were significantly weaker than the uninvolved feet (P<.05) of subjects with unilateral plantar fasciitis. Passive extension range of motion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint was not significantly different between the involved and the uninvolved feet for subjects with plantar fasciitis. CONCLUSION: Results for our subjects indicate that the extensibility of soft tissues influencing extension of the first metatarsophalangeal joint was not related to the presence of plantar fasciitis. Additional research is needed to determine if toe flexors weakness is a cause or a result of plantar fasciitis and if strengthening regimes for the toe flexors are effective interventions for plantar fasciitis.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical presentation and treatment of the combined syndrome of fasciitis and morphea in children. SETTING: The rheumatic disease clinic of a university children's hospital. PATIENTS: Six children who were referred for signs or symptoms of fasciitis were observed. SELECTION PROCEDURES: All children who were referred for fasciitis were included in the study. INTERVENTIONS: Therapy included prednisone initially and subsequent long-term treatment with penicillamine and alternate-day doses of prednisone. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Symptoms of morphea appeared 1 year before to 4 years after the first signs of fasciitis were observed. The fasciitis was characterized by usually symmetrical, centrifugal swelling, pain, and contracture formation. The morphea and fasciitis did not appear in the same areas of the body. CONCLUSIONS: The fasciitis and morphea are clearly linked manifestations. The fasciitis, but not the morphea, appears to respond to treatment with steroids. Treatment with penicillamine may ameliorate the sclerosis of the morphea but does not stop new lesions from appearing.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: We determine the utility of tissue oxygen saturation monitoring in diagnosing necrotizing fasciitis of the lower extremities. METHODS: We prospectively studied patients who met the criteria of soft tissue infection throughout the lower extremities by tissue oxygen saturation monitoring (with near-infrared spectroscopy) over the middle third of possible involved areas. Cases with evidence of chronic venous stasis, peripheral vascular disease, shock, and systemic hypoxia were excluded. Biceps and contralateral unaffected leg areas were measured as references. The tissue oxygen saturation reading for each area was compared with those finally diagnosed as necrotizing fasciitis and those with only simple soft tissue infection. The tissue oxygen saturation reading was presented as mean+/-SD. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine a cutoff value of tissue oxygen saturation reading for early diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-four consecutive patients were enrolled. Nineteen patients (group N) were confirmed to have necrotizing fasciitis, whereas the remaining 215 patients (group C) had only cellulitis. The tissue oxygen saturation reading measured over the biceps muscle was 86%+/-11% in group N and 85%+/-12% in group C. In group N, the leg with necrotizing fasciitis had a tissue oxygen saturation reading of 52%+/-18% throughout the involved site, whereas the tissue oxygen saturation reading measured in the comparative values found in group C was 84%+/-7% (difference 95% confidence interval [CI] 22% to 29%). After fasciotomy, the tissue oxygen saturation reading of the leg with necrotizing fasciitis returned to 82%+/-17% (95% CI 23% to 28% compared with prefasciotomy value) in group N. At the cutoff value of a tissue oxygen saturation reading less than 70% (area under the curve 0.883; 95% CI 0.817 to 0.949) defined by ROC curve, the test revealed a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 82% to 100%), a specificity of 97% (95% CI 94% to 99%), and an accuracy of 97% (95% CI 95% to 99%). CONCLUSION: The low tissue oxygen saturation reading values measured by near-infrared spectroscopy throughout the involved areas of the lower extremities are of value in identifying necrotizing fasciitis. This method may offer a reliable noninvasive method of assessing lower extremities at risk for necrotizing fasciitis, at least for a selected patient population.
Group A streptococcal (GAS) necrotizing fasciitis is a rapidly progressive soft tissue infection. Elderly and chronically ill individuals are at greatest risk, particularly when skin breakdown is present. Reports suggest that nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase the risk of developing GAS necrotizing fasciitis, impede its timely recognition and management, and accelerate the course of infection. We present a literature review conducted to examine these hypotheses and present a case of GAS necrotizing fasciitis associated with rofecoxib use. Initial symptoms of fasciitis may be nondescript, mimicking more benign conditions such as cellulitis, arthritis, or musculoskeletal pain. Case reports and retrospective studies suggest that the application of NSAIDs to relieve these nonspecific symptoms can delay diagnosis and treatment of GAS necrotizing fasciitis. However, prospective studies do not support a risk of developing GAS necrotizing fasciitis as a result of NSAID therapy, or a worsening of established streptococcal infection. To avoid the application of NSAIDs in lieu of aggressive medical and surgical management of streptococcal fasciitis, clinicians must understand the early symptoms of GAS necrotizing fasciitis that precede visible soft tissue necrosis. A rational approach to patients presenting with localized soft tissue pain will enhance detection and therapy of this rapidly progressive, life-threatening disease.
BACKGROUND: Early recognition and treatment are important factors that can help improve survival following necrotizing fasciitis. However, early recognition is complicated by the difficulty in distinguishing the infection from other, less serious soft-tissue infections such as cellulitis. We reviewed the charts of children presenting with necrotizing fasciitis at a tertiary care pediatric hospital in Ontario to document potential increases in the frequency of cases and to identify clinical and laboratory features that could help distinguish between necrotizing fasciitis and cellulitis. METHODS: Necrotizing fasciitis was defined as a soft-tissue infection characterized by necrosis of subcutaneous tissue and confirmed at surgery or on pathological examination. A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify cases of necrotizing fasciitis that occurred between June 1, 1983, and May 31, 1999. The characteristics of the identified cases, their clinical manifestations and the laboratory features at presentation were compared with those of matched controls admitted to the hospital with cellulitis. RESULTS: In total, 8 cases of necrotizing fasciitis were identified during the study period. There were no cases from 1983 to 1987, 1 from 1988 to 1991, 1 from 1992 to 1995, and 6 cases from 1996 to 1999. Compared with the children who had cellulitis, those who had necrotizing fasciitis were more likely to present with a generalized erythematous rash (odds ratio [OR] 11.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-81.6) and a toxic appearance (OR 23.0; 95% CI 2.0-262.5). They were also more likely than the children with cellulitis to have a history of fever (8/8 v. 10/24, p = 0.004), a higher temperature (mean 38.7 degrees C v. 37.8 degrees C, p = 0.006), a higher respiratory rate (mean 31.5 v. 25.4 breaths/min, p = 0.02) and a lower platelet count on presentation (mean 194.0 v. 299.3 x 10(9)/L, p = 0.03). INTERPRETATION: On presentation, factors that may help distinguish necrotizing fasciitis from cellulitis include a generalized erythematous rash, toxic appearance, fever and low platelet count.
OBJECTIVE: Subacute necrotizing fasciitis is a poorly defined clinical entity. Its very existence has been the subject of much controversy. While rarely reported, subacute forms of necrotizing fasciitis have been documented in the literature by many authors. This paper highlights some recently reported cases in the literature that clearly shows that subacute forms of necrotizing fasciitis indeed exist and may in fact be under-reported because of the lack of awareness and a consistent diagnostic criteria. METHODS: A Medline search was performed with the following keyword; necrotizing fasciitis, subacute, variant and indolent. RESULTS: Majority of reported cases did not give sufficient information to satisfy the reviewer that these cases were indeed subacute forms of necrotizing fasciitis. We identified three cases of subacute necrotizing fasciitis that clearly are subacute cases and analysed their clinical presentation. A diagnostic criterion for defining subacute necrotizing fasciitis was proposed based on these cases and the authors' clinical experiences. CONCLUSION: This proposed diagnostic criterion serves to facilitate future reporting and documentation of this condition. The clinical significance and implication of this are discussed.