Abstract

We report the case of a 56-year-old man, previously well, who presented with a spontaneous right-sided periorbital necrotising soft tissue infection and subsequently found to have undiagnosed hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis. The patient presented with rapid onset right eye pain, periorbital swelling and septic shock. CT scan revealed diffuse inflammatory changes to the soft tissue anterior to the right eye. The initial treatment included intravenous antibiotics, emergency debridement of necrotic tissue and admission to intensive care. Group A streptococcus was cultured from the debrided tissue. The patient developed decompensated liver failure and life-threatening haematemesis. Liver screening detected hepatitis C positive serology, the only risk factor for which was an old tattoo. The patient was effectively managed by early involvement of multiple clinical teams. We review the literature surrounding periorbital necrotising fasciitis, discuss the evidence for hepatic disorders as a potential cause and make recommendations for managing these patients.