Clinical assessment and risk stratification

There is usually fever, swelling and pain out of proportion to clinical findings. There can be numbness to the area, caused by infarction of cutaneous nerve supply. As the infection spreads along fascial planes, namely Colles’ and Scarpa’s fascia, it’s true extent can be hidden, lying underneath skin and above muscle groups. The presence of overt necrosis of the skin is a late sign (as this occurs from deep to superficial).