Necrotizing Fasciitis of Lower Extremity Caused by Haemophilus influenzae in a Healthy Adult With a Closed Lisfranc Injury

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare bacterial infection with an incidence of approximately 0.4 cases per 100,000 population. Although the majority of cases of necrotizing fasciitis are polymicrobial, a systematic review of the literature found only 7 reports of Haemophilus influenzae as the causal agent, and only 1 incidence of H influenzae causing the infection in a healthy adult.

This report documents the unusual case of necrotizing fasciitis in a healthy adult with a history of smoking as her only risk factor. The patient presented with a seemingly innocuous low-grade Lisfranc injury. Our case illustrates the importance of early diagnosis and aggressive surgical management and medical treatment of necrotizing fasciitis.