Skin and soft-tissue infections

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Alejandro Lemor, M.D. [2]

Please click on the specific skin and soft-tissue infections below for further information.

Anatomic Layers of the Skin		Condition	Definition†	Image
	Epidermis	Impetigo	Superficial pyogenic infection of the skin which usually begins as vesicles with a very thin, fragile roof consisting only of stratum corneum.
	Dermis	Erysipelas	Infection of the upper dermis including the superficial lymphatics which typically presents as an indurated, "peau d’orange" lesion with a raised border that is demarcated from uninvolved skin.
		Folliculitis	Inflammation and/or infection of the hair follicle in which suppuration presents in the epidermis.
		Furuncle (Boil)	Infection of the hair follicle in which suppuration extends through the dermis into the subcutaneous tissue. Each lesion consists of a deep-seated inflammatory nodule and an overlying pustule through which hair emerges.
		Carbuncle	Infection of several adjacent hair follicles, producing a coalescent inflammatory mass with pus draining from multiple follicular orifices.
		Cellulitis	Acute spreading infection of the deeper dermis and the subcutaneous tissue which lacks sharp demarcation from uninvolved skin.
	Subcutaneous Tissue
		Necrotizing Fasciitis	Rapidly progressive infection of deep fascia associated with bullae and necrosis of underlying skin.
	Muscle	Myonecrosis (Gas Gangrene)	Rapidly progressive toxemic infection of injured muscle, producing marked edema, crepitus, and brown bullae, characterized by extensive gaseous dissection of muscle and fascial planes on radiography.

^†Adapted from Clin Infect Dis. 2005;41(10):1373-406., Rook's Textbook of Dermatology, and Infectious Diseases of the Skin.