UK doctors warn of 'flesh-eating' vulva infections
Doctors in the U.K. have warned gynecologists of the risks of necrotizing fasciitis in the external genitalia after seeing several cases.
lesh-eating' vulva infections reported in three cases — gynecologists should know the signs, experts warn
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By Jess Thomson published April 14, 2025
Doctors in the U.K. have warned gynecologists of the risks of necrotizing fasciitis in the external genitalia after seeing several cases.
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Necrotizing fasciitis is a dangerous bacterial infection that quickly kills soft tissues of the body. A new series of case reports highlights how the infection can affect the external female genitalia. (Image credit: KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images)
Gynecologists should be informed of the signs of rare, "flesh-eating" infections, doctors warn, because these dangerous infections can sometimes infiltrate the vulva.
In a new case report published April 8 in the journal BMJ Case Reports, U.K. doctors describe three patients who were found to have necrotizing fasciitis of the vulva. The vulva includes the external female genitalia, such as the labia majora and labia minora, for example.
"Necrotizing fasciitis (NF), also known as flesh-eating disease, can arise when certain bacteria enter the skin through a wound — a cut, abrasion, burn, surgical wound, or even an insect bite," Bill Sullivan, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Indiana University, who was not involved in the case report, told Live Science in an email. "NF can occur anywhere skin or tissue is breached, including genitalia."
