A Case of Gas Gangrene of the Right Foot: Clinical Presentation and Management

Gas gangrene is a rare, life-threatening infection caused mainly by Clostridium perfringens and other Clostridium species, such as C. septicum, C. novyi, C. bifermentans, and C. histolyticum. Other microbial pathogens also reported to cause gas gangrene are Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. It is fulminant and associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, especially in patients with underlying comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus. Major underlying etiology is associated with a history of trauma or surgical wounds exposed to soil and fecal matter containing the causative microbes. This is a case of a 53-year-old man with unmanaged diabetes presenting with gas gangrene in his right lower limb. He was managed by below-knee amputation. The histopathological analysis confirmed Clostridium perfringens as the causative organism.