Adenocarcinoma of the colon presenting as lower extremity gas gangrene (metastatic myonecrosis). Case report

Abstract

Nontraumatic metastatic gas gangrene is often associated with occult gastrointestinal malignancies. Usually an ulcerative lesion of the intestinal mucosa serves as portal of entry for the clostridia. Unless treatment is promptly instituted the patients die from overwhelming sepsis within days. Patients surviving should be assumed to harbor an underlying malignancy until proved otherwise.