'Flesh-eating' vulva infections reported in three cases — gynecologists should know the signs, experts warn

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.