Biomaterial Database

Fournier's gangrene during ACTH therapy. 2017

Shingo Numoto, and Hirokazu Kurahashi, and Yoshiteru Azuma, and Atsushi Numaguchi, and Kozaburo Nakahara, and Takahisa Tainaka, and Michihiko Takasu, and Kiyoshi Yamakawa, and Nozomi Nago, and Taichiro Muto, and Yoshiro Kitagawa, and Akihisa Okumura

Department of Pediatrics, Aichi Medical University, Japan. Electronic address: numoto.shingo.068@mail.aichi-med-u.ac.jp.

Fournier's gangrene is an infectious necrotizing fasciitis of the perineal, genital, or perianal regions and is uncommon in children. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is effective for the treatment of infantile spasms; however, suppression of immune function is one of the major adverse effects of this approach. We encountered a 2-month-old boy with infantile spasms that had been treated with ACTH and had developed complicating Fournier's gangrene. Strangulation of a right inguinal hernia was observed after ACTH treatment. Although surgical repair was successful and no intestinal injuries were detected, swelling and discoloration of the right scrotum developed in association with pyrexia and a severe inflammatory response. A scrotal incision revealed pus with a putrid smell. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with Fournier's gangrene complicated by septic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Extensive debridement and intensive care was performed. Enterobactor aerogenes, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis were isolated from the pus. Meropenem, teicoplanin, and clindamycin were administered to control the bacterial infection. The patient was discharged from the intensive care unit without any obvious neurological sequelae. Suppression of immune function associated with ACTH therapy may have been related to the development of Fournier's gangrene in this case.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D006728	Hormones	Chemical substances having a specific regulatory effect on the activity of a certain organ or organs. The term was originally applied to substances secreted by various ENDOCRINE GLANDS and transported in the bloodstream to the target organs. It is sometimes extended to include those substances that are not produced by the endocrine glands but that have similar effects.	Hormone,Hormone Receptor Agonists,Agonists, Hormone Receptor,Receptor Agonists, Hormone
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000324	Adrenocorticotropic Hormone	An anterior pituitary hormone that stimulates the ADRENAL CORTEX and its production of CORTICOSTEROIDS. ACTH is a 39-amino acid polypeptide of which the N-terminal 24-amino acid segment is identical in all species and contains the adrenocorticotrophic activity. Upon further tissue-specific processing, ACTH can yield ALPHA-MSH and corticotrophin-like intermediate lobe peptide (CLIP).	ACTH,Adrenocorticotropin,Corticotropin,1-39 ACTH,ACTH (1-39),Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone,Corticotrophin,Corticotrophin (1-39),Corticotropin (1-39),Hormone, Adrenocorticotrophic,Hormone, Adrenocorticotropic
D013036	Spasms, Infantile	An epileptic syndrome characterized by the triad of infantile spasms, hypsarrhythmia, and arrest of psychomotor development at seizure onset. The majority present between 3-12 months of age, with spasms consisting of combinations of brief flexor or extensor movements of the head, trunk, and limbs. The condition is divided into two forms: cryptogenic (idiopathic) and symptomatic (secondary to a known disease process such as intrauterine infections; nervous system abnormalities; BRAIN DISEASES, METABOLIC, INBORN; prematurity; perinatal asphyxia; TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS; etc.). (From Menkes, Textbook of Child Neurology, 5th ed, pp744-8)	Cryptogenic Infantile Spasms,Hypsarrhythmia,Infantile Spasms,Jackknife Seizures,Nodding Spasm,Salaam Seizures,Spasmus Nutans,Symptomatic Infantile Spasms,West Syndrome,Cryptogenic West Syndrome,Lightning Attacks,Salaam Attacks,Symptomatic West Syndrome,Attack, Lightning,Attacks, Lightning,Attacks, Salaam,Cryptogenic Infantile Spasm,Hypsarrhythmias,Infantile Spasm,Infantile Spasm, Cryptogenic,Infantile Spasm, Symptomatic,Infantile Spasms, Cryptogenic,Infantile Spasms, Symptomatic,Jackknife Seizure,Lightning Attack,Nodding Spasms,Seizure, Jackknife,Seizures, Jackknife,Seizures, Salaam,Spasm, Cryptogenic Infantile,Spasm, Nodding,Spasm, Symptomatic Infantile,Spasms, Cryptogenic Infantile,Spasms, Nodding,Spasms, Symptomatic Infantile,Symptomatic Infantile Spasm,Syndrome, Cryptogenic West,Syndrome, Symptomatic West,Syndrome, West,West Syndrome, Cryptogenic,West Syndrome, Symptomatic
D018934	Fournier Gangrene	An acute necrotic infection of the SCROTUM; PENIS; or PERINEUM. It is characterized by scrotum pain and redness with rapid progression to gangrene and sloughing of tissue. Fournier gangrene is usually secondary to perirectal or periurethral infections associated with local trauma, operative procedures, or urinary tract disease.	Fournier Disease,Fournier's Gangrene,Fournier's Disease,Fourniers Disease,Fourniers Gangrene,Gangrene, Fournier,Gangrene, Fournier's