[Necrotizing fasciitis of the neck in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia: clinical features, therapeutic strategy and review of the literature].

Necrotizing fasciitis is a severe polymicrobial infection of the soft tissues, characterized by necrosis of the fascia and subcutaneous tissues. Although it most commonly involves the groin, abdomen and extremities it may also occur in the head and neck. The present work presents a case of cervical necrotizing fasciitis arising from a dental infection in a young girl with acute myeloid leukemia. The causes, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of this potentially lethal disorder are reviewed.