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William H. Beeson, MD; Thomas G. Slama, MD; Richard T. Beeler, MD; John D. Rachel, MD; Nicolette A. Picerno, MD

Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2001;3:277-279.

Tumescent liposuction is a procedure with a good safety record. Local infection is rare but can result in devastating consequences. We report a rare case of group A streptococcal fasciitis complicating tumescent liposuction and highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of this condition. A 62-year-old woman presented 8 days after submental liposuction and a platysmal plication procedure with signs and symptoms of cervical fasciitis. Microbiological analysis confirmed a group A streptococcal infection. By using early aggressive medical and surgical treatments, the disease was arrested before the onset of any necrotizing process. A high index of suspicion is required to make an early diagnosis of this potentially disfiguring and life-threatening infection.

From the Beeson Aesthetic Surgery Institute, Carmel, Ind (Drs Beeson, Rachel, and Picerno); and the Infectious Disease (Dr Slama) and Radiology (Dr Beeler) Units, St Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis, Ind.