Cellulitis: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Overview

Cellulitis is an infection of the skin and underlying tissues that can affect any area of the body. It often begins in an area of broken skin, like a cut or scratch, when bacteria invade and spread, causing inflammation, pain, swelling, warmth, and redness.

Causes

Conditions that create breaks in the skin and allow bacteria to enter, such as eczema and severe acne, will put a child at risk for document.write(defcellulitis146) cellulitiscellulitis. Chickenpox, scratched insect bites, animal bites, and puncture wounds are other causes.

Cellulitis also can form in areas of intact skin, especially in people who have diabetes or who are taking medicines that suppress the immune system.

Cellulitis requires particularly close monitoring when it infects the eyelid and tissues surrounding the eye. It can be the result of minor trauma to the area around the eye (such as an insect bite or a scratch), or it may be an extension of another infection, such as sinusitis. This kind of cellulitis is treated with antibiotics and close follow-up. If untreated, it can progress to a more serious infection that affects vision.

Symptom

The incubation period varies from 3 days to 1 week. The first signs of involvement may be small red erosions on the glans or undersurface of the prepuce, with concomitant development of much preputial exudation; the purulent discharge may be accompanied by phimosis. If the disease is unchecked, confluent ulcerations will develop along with considerable edema of the penis.