This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Aetiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Many factors may cause gangrene including:

  • arterial obstruction - gangrene developing secondary to other disease pathology such as thrombosis of an atherosclerotic artery, embolus from heart in atrial fibrillation or after coronary thrombosis, arteritis with neuropathy in diabetes, Buerger's disease, arterial shutdown in Raynaud's disease, and ergotism, certain intra-arterial injections, for example cytotoxic substances
  • infection - boils and carbuncles, gas gangrene, Fournier's scrotal gangrene
  • trauma - direct e.g. pressure sores; indirect - injury of vessels away from the site of the gangrene e.g. pressure on the popliteal artery by the lower end of a fractured femur
  • physical - e.g. burns, scalds, frostbite, chemicals
  • peripheral vein thrombosis - e.g. in venous gangrene

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.