Cellulitis
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Summary
Cellulitis is an infection of the skin and deep underlying tissues. Group A strep (streptococcal) bacteria are the most common cause. The bacteria enter your body when you get an injury such as a bruise, burn, surgical cut, or wound.
Symptoms include
- Fever and chills
- Swollen glands or lymph nodes
- A rash with painful, red, tender skin. The skin may blister and scab over.
Your health care provider may take a sample or culture from your skin or do a blood test to identify the bacteria causing infection. Treatment is with antibiotics. They may be oral in mild cases, or intravenous (by IV) for more severe cases.
NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Related Issues
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Group A Streptococcal Infections
(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
- Is Cellulitis Contagious? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Recurrent Cellulitis: How Can I Prevent It? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Cellulitis (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
- Erysipelas (American Osteopathic College of Dermatology)
- What Is Cellulitis? (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Cellulitis
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Deep Cutaneous Neoscytalidium dimidiatum Infection: Successful Outcome with Amphotericin B...
- Article: Periorbital Cellulitis in Paediatric Emergency Medicine Department Patients.
- Article: Perifolliculitis Capitis Abscedens et Suffodiens Treated with Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha...
- Cellulitis -- see more articles
Find an Expert
- Find a Dermatologist (American Academy of Dermatology)
-
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Children
- Cellulitis (Nemours Foundation)
Teenagers
- Cellulitis (Nemours Foundation)
Patient Handouts
- Cellulitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Orbital cellulitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Perianal streptococcal cellulitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Periorbital cellulitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish