Necrotizing fasciitis is a rapidly spreading soft-tissue infection that can be life-threatening.
Symptoms can start with severe pain, swelling, redness, and fever, often around a wound or skin injury. The pain may feel much worse than the skin looks at first.
Imaging helps show how far the infection has spread under the skin and whether there is gas, fluid, or tissue destruction, but doctors should not wait for imaging if the clinical suspicion is high.
CT, MRI, or ultrasound may show gas, fluid, fascial thickening, and spread of infection, but treatment should not be delayed when suspicion is high.
This is a medical and surgical emergency requiring urgent antibiotics, surgery, and intensive supportive care.
This entry explains the condition. The next step is having a radiologist interpret your specific scan, not a general definition.
