Fournier\'s Gangrene: Irrua Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, Experience.

Fournier\'s gangrene can no longer be considered idiopathic or a disease of young adult males in apparent good health. This work aims to highlight the changes in the knowledge of the epidemiology vis-à-vis current management recommendations. This study is retrospective. Case files of seventeen patients seen within the ten-year period of 1997-2006 were retrieved, relevant information extracted. All were males who had easily identifiable aetiological factors. Perianal sepsis was the most common (23.53%) followed by diabetes mellitus (17.64%). The disease was fulminating in 2 (11.76%) with over all mortality of 2 (11.76%), one a diabetic and the other an HIV positive patient. Epidemiology of Fournier\'s gangrene is better understood now. There is an a etiology in most of the cases. All our patients were males, a finding similar to other authors from the region and casting doubt on the existence of female genital gangrene. The prognosis is worse when it is associated with immune suppression from diabetes mellitus and HIV infection. Keywords: Fournier\'s gangrene. Changing epidemiology. Female genital gangrene. eponym. AfricansSudanese Journal of Dermatology Vol. 6 (1) 2008: pp. 34-43