Palatopharyngeal and lower extremity soft tissue loss in an infant secondary to Pseudomonas gangrenous cellulitis.

Ecthyma gangrenosum, the rapidly fulminating tissue infarction of Pseudomonas sepsis, presents as one of the more spectacular disease processes. A case involving sloughing of the soft palate, pharyngeal walls, and 40% of one extremity in an infant is presented. Fever and diarrhea are the usual nondescript precursors. The lesions are impressive for their lack of visible inflammatory response or granulation tissue. Early debridement is mandatory for resolution of the toxic condition.