Cellulitis overview
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
|
Cellulitis Microchapters |
|
Diagnosis |
|---|
|
Treatment |
|
Case Studies |
|
Cellulitis overview On the Web |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Cellulitis overview |
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.