After a day of working at the cemetery, Mr. N.T.T, 60 years old, living in Tuyen Quang, discovered a small red spot on his chest, similar to a common pimple. As a cemetery manager, he did not pay much attention to this symptom. However, after only two days, the red spot grew rapidly, turned black, spread and caused pain.
Realizing the seriousness of his condition, Mr. T went to the district health facility for examination and was hospitalized for treatment. However, after two days, the black spot did not improve but became more ulcerated, causing him pain. During the night, Mr. T was urgently transferred to the General Infection Department, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases. The patient was diagnosed with necrotizing cellulitis of the left chest area, along with chronic gout and hypertension.
Upon admission, although he was still conscious, the ulcer on Mr. T's chest had become severely necrotic, spreading to a size of 10x10 cm. Doctors from the Department of Orthopedic Neurosurgery diagnosed the necrosis as similar to gas gangrene and immediately performed surgery to remove the necrotic part.
However, on the second day after surgery, test results showed that Mr. T had a fungal infection - a rare cause of necrosis. This type of fungus grows strongly, especially when the infected area is in the chest - a complex location, so Mr. T needed to be actively treated with antifungal drugs, intravenous antifungal drugs, and thorough disinfection.
On January 6, the patient underwent a second surgery to completely remove the necrotic areas and the fungal bacteria that had penetrated deep into the muscle tissue in the chest. After the surgery, the patient's health gradually stabilized, the necrotic tissue and the area invaded by the fungal bacteria were completely removed.
Dr. Pham Van Tinh, Department of Orthopedic Neurosurgery, said: “Cases of necrotizing fasciitis are very rare and difficult to diagnose in the early stages. The disease often progresses rapidly, manifested by black necrotic lesions on the skin, without pus, infection or redness. This is a dangerous condition that needs to be recognized early.”
The doctor also warned: People with injuries, especially scratches that come into contact with dirty ground, need to pay attention. These injuries are susceptible to fungal infections and can lead to death if not treated promptly.
