Finegoldia magna: a rare cause of necrotising fasciitis

Abstract

Necrotising fasciitis is a life-threatening condition characterised by inflammation, affecting the soft tissues, which spreads within a fascial plane. Skin changes can be delayed and can often go unnoticed. The condition arises from a bacterial infection, commonly being of polymicrobial aetiology. We describe an uncommon case of necrotising fasciitis caused by Finegoldia magna, an anaerobic coccus, in a 40-year-old patient with diabetes. F. magna is a Gram-positive anaerobic coccus, which was previously known as Peptostreptococcus magnus The bacteria is found in the normal flora of the urogenital tract. The bacteria is associated with severe infections such as native valve endocarditis, paravalvular abscess around a bioprosthetic valve, purulent pericarditis complicated by mediastanitis, meningitis after pneumonia and necrotising pneumonia complicated by pyopneumothorax. There have been no cases in the literature describing necrotising fasciitis of the abdominal wall caused by F. magna.

Keywords: general surgery; pathology; plastic and reconstructive surgery.