Historically, the incidence of fungating wounds is not well documented. This article looks at the limited up-to-date information on the impact and incidence of fungating wounds in the UK. As fungating wounds generally signal palliative care and rarely heal, the ability to manage their unpleasant symptoms is increasingly important. One of the most distressing symptoms identified by patients is malodour; therefore, this article will review the limited research available on the use of metronidazole preparations to manage malodorous wounds.