[Etiology and diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis (author's transl)].

This is the report of three cases of necrotizing fasciitis, an acute and progressive disease involving the connective tissue, which may appear after infection with beta-hemolytic streptococci of group A (S. pyogenes). Painless ulcerations and necrosis along the fascial tissue are pathognomonic. Treatment consists in immediate and wide incisions to terminate the toxic effects due to the cell wall constituents of the streptococci together with an adequate chemotherapy. The laboratory diagnosis and the pathogenic mechanisms are discussed.