Cellulitis overview
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
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Cellulitis Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Cellulitis overview On the Web |
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Overview
Cellulitis is an inflammation of the connective tissue underlying the skin, that can be caused by a bacterial infection. Cellulitis can be caused by normal skin flora or by exogenous bacteria, and often occurs where the skin has previously been broken: cracks in the skin, cuts, blisters, burns, insect bites, surgical wounds, or sites of intravenous catheter insertion. The mainstay of therapy remains treatment with appropriate antibiotics. Skin on the face or lower legs is most commonly affected by this infection, though cellulitis can occur on any part of the body. Cellulitis may be superficial — affecting only the surface of the skin — but cellulitis may also affect the tissues underlying the skin and can spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream.
It is unrelated to cellulite, a cosmetic condition featuring dimpling of the skin.
Incubation
Cellulitis can develop in as little as twenty-four hours or can take days to develop.
Duration
In many cases, cellulitis takes less than a week to disappear with antibiotic therapy. However, it can take months to resolve completely in more serious cases, and can result in severe debility or even death if untreated. If it is not properly cured it may appear to improve but can resurface again even after months and years.