Cervical Necrotizing Fasciitis as a Complication of Tonsillotomy by Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation

Abstract

Necrotizing fasciitis is a highly aggressive infectious process characterized by spread along fascial planes. This process can rapidly involve overlying skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and other adjacent soft tissue structures. The infection, bacterial in nature, can result in ischemia and necrosis of these tissues, with subsequent overwhelming sepsis and death. So rapid diagnosis and early surgical debridement was essential in cervical necrotizing fasciitis. Radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFTA) is an attractive and promising treatment modality for various disease such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), turbinate hypertrophy, tonsillar diseases. The success of RFTA in the treatment of OSA is well documented, but complications are not as well documented. There is no reports about cervical necrotizing fasciitis as a complication of RFTA. So we present a case of cervical necrotizing fasciitis complicated by RFTA (Cobulator®) tonsillotomy in an immunocompetent adult host.