noun
- A spreading, rapidly destructive ulcer or gangrene of the skin and underlying tissues.
Usage: medical; archaic or rare in modern usage
Examples
- The physician diagnosed the patient with phagedena after observing the rapid tissue destruction.
- In older medical texts, phagedena was described as one of the most serious forms of ulceration.
- The infection developed into phagedena, requiring immediate surgical intervention.
- Historical accounts mention phagedena as a dreaded complication of untreated wounds.