Streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis ("flesh-eating strep infection").

Streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis, popularized in the lay literature as the "flesh-eating infection" has gained great notoriety. Necrotizing fasciitis may be lethal not only due to its severity, but also because of difficulty in diagnosis during its early stages. Absence of immunity against certain streptococcal proteins increases the severity of infection. Necrotizing fasciitis may be distinguished from other streptococcal skin and soft tissue infections by clinical examination, imaging studies, and biopsy. Treatment requires a combined medical-surgical approach.