Candida albicans necrotizing soft tissue infection: a case report and literature review of fungal necrotizing soft tissue infections

Abstract

Background: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) most often is caused by bacterial infection while a fungal source has been reported in immunosuppressed patients. Early wide surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment. Split thickness skin grafts are both versatile and easy to harvest, thus making them a long-established option for soft tissue reconstruction.

Case report: A 55-year-old man was admitted for gunshot wounds. Purulence was noted at the central catheter site. Cultures grew Candida albicans. Antifungal therapy was initiated and debridement for NF of the neck and upper chest was performed. The patient underwent reconstruction using a split thickness skin graft obtained from the anterolateral thigh.

Conclusions: Necrotizing fasciitis secondary to Candida species infection is exceedingly rare. We report an unusual case of candidal NF in a patient with no past medical history of immunocompromise. Patients with this type of infection can be successfully treated with aggressive surgical debridement and intravenous anidulafungin.