[18F]FDG PET/CT in Necrotizing Fasciitis: A Case Series Investigating the Clinical Utility in a Challenging and Rare Condition.

Abstract

Necrotizing fasciitis is a deadly yet rare soft tissue and skin infection that is usually diagnosed clinically. At times, clinical signs may betray the underlying etiology and masquerade as cellulitis in the early course of the disease. We report four cases with clinical suspicion of necrotizing fasciitis, some after the failure of therapy for cellulitis who underwent 18-F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18-F FDG PET/CT) showing the extent of the disease, showing subclinical sites of involvement in patients with necrotizing fasciitis on baseline scan as well as its role in assessing response to treatment using 18-F FDG PET/CT.