Cellulitis causes
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
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Overview
Group A streptococcus and staphylococcus[1] are the most common causative agents of cellulitis. These bacteria are part of the normal flora living on the skin.
Causes
Life Threatening Causes
Life-threatening causes include conditions which may result in death or permanent disability within 24 hours if left untreated.
Common Causes
Causes by Organ System
| Cardiovascular | No underlying causes |
| Chemical / poisoning | No underlying causes |
| Dermatologic | No underlying causes |
| Drug Side Effect | No underlying causes |
| Ear Nose Throat | No underlying causes |
| Endocrine | No underlying causes |
| Environmental | No underlying causes |
| Gastroenterologic | No underlying causes |
| Genetic | No underlying causes |
| Hematologic | No underlying causes |
| Iatrogenic | No underlying causes |
| Infectious Disease | No underlying causes |
| Musculoskeletal / Ortho | No underlying causes |
| Neurologic | No underlying causes |
| Nutritional / Metabolic | No underlying causes |
| Obstetric/Gynecologic | No underlying causes |
| Oncologic | No underlying causes |
| Opthalmologic | No underlying causes |
| Overdose / Toxicity | No underlying causes |
| Psychiatric | No underlying causes |
| Pulmonary | No underlying causes |
| Renal / Electrolyte | No underlying causes |
| Rheum / Immune / Allergy | No underlying causes |
| Sexual | No underlying causes |
| Trauma | No underlying causes |
| Urologic | No underlying causes |
| Dental | No underlying causes |
| Miscellaneous | No underlying causes |
Causes in Alphabetical Order
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3Causes Based on Anatomical Location, Medical and Exposure History
The causative pathogen of cellulitis varies with the anatomical location and the patient’s medical and exposure history.
| Predisposing Factor | Anatomical Location | Likely Etiology |
| Periorbital (preseptal) cellulitis | Eyelid and periocular tissues | Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes |
| Buccal cellulitis in children without Hib vaccine | Cheek | Haemophilus influenzae |
| Cellulitis complicated by body piercing | Ear, nose, umbilicus | S. aureus, S. pyogenes |
| Perianal cellulitis | Perineum | S. pyogenes |
| Subcutaneous injection of illicit drugs (“skin popping”) | Extremities, neck | S. aureus, Streptococcus (group A, B, C, F, G) |
| Breast surgert with axillary lymph node dissection | Ipsilateral arm | Non–group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus |
| Harvest of saphenous vein | Ipsilateral leg | Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus |
| Crepitant or gangrenous cellulitis | Extremities, Trunk | Clostridium or non–spore-forming anaerobes; alone or with E. coli, Klebsiella, or Aeromonas |
| Diabetic foot ulcer | Dorsum of foot or toes | S. aureus, Streptococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, or anaerobes |
| Exposure to salt water at breeches of skin | Extremities | Vibrio vulnificus |
| Exposure to fresh water at breeches of skin | Extremities | Aeromonas hydrophila |
| Medicinal leech therapy | Extremities | Aeromonas hydrophila |
| Working as a butcher, fish or clam handler, veterinarian | Fingers | Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae |