Whats the difference between necrotizing fasciitis and necrotizing soft tissue infection?
They are almost the same. Necrotizing soft tissue infections refer to severe infections of the muscles, subcutaneous fat and fascia that are multifactorial in their microbial origin (which is to say that a number of both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms contribute to the underlying etiology). Necrotizing fasciitis on the other hand is a type of necrotizing soft tissue infection that develops along the planes of the fascia and is caused by the Group A Streptococci (i.e. mostly the M1, M3 and M18 serotypes of Streptococcus pyogenes). Therefore, necrotizing fasciitis is a type of soft tissue infection caused by a single organism. Another example in this category is myonecrosis, a soft tissue infection caused only by Clostridium perfringens.
