Fournier gangrene one of the nastiest infections you’ll ever see.

General surgeon Jeffery Parks details a case, complete with a vivid CT scan:

Dr. Parks takes us behind the scenes in treating the condition, which requires rapid surgical debridement. “There’s nothing fancy about this surgery,” he writes. “You cut and debride until all the necrotic fat and skin and muscle is gone. It leaves a horrible wound. Sometimes you have to divert stool with a colostomy to facilitate clean wound care post-operatively.”

He provides some other clinical clues to the condition, including, a markedly high white count, a low blood pressure, “popping” or crackling sounds under the skin, otherwise known as crepitus, and extreme pain.

It’s a condition I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

Update:
The patient in the case Dr. Parks described is female. Apologies for the error.