{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T05:14:17Z","timestamp":1790054057811,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,15]],"date-time":"2025-05-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1747267200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Infectious Disease Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Fournier\u2019s Gangrene (FG) is a severe and potentially fatal necrotizing infection of the perianal and genital regions, which necessitates prompt therapeutic interventions to prevent disease progression. Accruing evidence from recent research indicates that the neutrophil\u2012to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can predict clinical severity and mortality risk in patients with critical illnesses across various etiologies. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy of NLR as a prognostic indicator for mortality in patients with FG. Methods: An electronic literature search was conducted across several databases from their inception to 31 May 2024, following a predetermined protocol. Study quality was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A random-effect model was utilized to synthesize the available data. Results: Twelve studies reporting on 767 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Higher NLR levels at presentation were recorded in non-survivors than in survivors (MD = 4.49 [95% CI: 0.67\u20138.32]; p = 0.02). A 76% increased mortality risk was detected for patients with an NLR \u2265 8 (1.76 RR [1.35\u20132.3], p = 0.0001), and the mortality risk was more than twofold greater for patients with an NLR \u2265 10 compared to the remaining patients (RR = 2.31 [1.27\u20134.21], p = 0.006). All included studies exhibited a moderate to serious risk of bias. Conclusions: This meta-analysis reveals that the NLR represents a promising biomarker that can serve as a prognostic indicator in patients with FG. Future studies should address the establishment of proper disease-specific cutoff values to aid in clinical decision-making.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/idr17030055","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,15]],"date-time":"2025-05-15T09:58:27Z","timestamp":1747303107000},"page":"55","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["The Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Prognostic Biomarker of Fournier\u2019s Gangrene Severity: A Meta-Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1844-1264","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Konstantinos","family":"Seretis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45100 Ioannina, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1243-5346","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nikolaos","family":"Bounas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45100 Ioannina, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Konstantinos","family":"Sfaelos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45100 Ioannina, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5482-1304","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Georgios","family":"Gaitanis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45100 Ioannina, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0252-8314","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioannis","family":"Bassukas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45100 Ioannina, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1177\/03915603231165067","article-title":"A contemporaneous narrative review of Fournier\u2019s gangrene","volume":"90","author":"Desai","year":"2023","journal-title":"Urologia"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"205","DOI":"10.1038\/nrurol.2016.243","article-title":"A contemporary update on Fournier\u2019s gangrene","volume":"14","author":"Hagedorn","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat. 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