Cellulitis

Cellulitis

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Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• What is cellulitis? What are symptoms of cellulitis?
• Where does cellulitis occur?
• What does cellulitis look like?
• What are risk factors for cellulitis?
• What causes cellulitis?
• Is cellulitis contagious?
• How is cellulitis diagnosed and treated?
• Cellulitis At A Glance
• Patient Discussions: Cellulitis - Symptoms Experienced

What is cellulitis? What are symptoms of cellulitis?

Cellulitis is a spreading bacterial infection of the skin and tissues beneath the skin. Cellulitis usually begins as a small area of tenderness, swelling, and redness. As this red area begins to enlarge, the person may develop a fever -- sometimes with chills and sweats -- and swollen lymph nodes ("swollen glands") near the area of infected skin.

Unlike impetigo, which is a very superficial skin infection, cellulitis refers to an infection also involving the skin's deeper layers: the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The main bacteria involved in cellulitis are Streptococcus and Staphylococcus ("staph"), the same bacteria that cause many cases of impetigo. MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) can also cause cellulitis. Sometimes, other bacteria (for example, Hemophilus influenzae, Pneumococcus, and Clostridium species) may cause cellulitis as well.

Where does cellulitis occur?

Cellulitis may occur anywhere on the body, but the leg is the most common site of the infection (particularly in the area of the tibia or shinbone and in the foot), followed by the arm, and then the head and neck areas. In special circumstances, such as following surgery or trauma wounds, cellulitis can develop in the abdomen or chest areas. People with morbid obesity can also develop cellulitis in the abdominal skin. Special types of cellulitis are sometimes designated by the location of the infection. Examples include periorbital (around the eye socket) cellulitis, buccal (cheek) cellulitis, and perianal cellulitis.

What does cellulitis look like?

The signs of cellulitis include redness, warmth, swelling, and pain in the involved tissues. Any skin wound or ulcer that exhibits these signs may be developing cellulitis.

Other forms of noninfected inflammation may mimic cellulitis. People with poor leg circulation, for instance, often develop scaly redness on the shins and ankles; this is called "stasis dermatitis" and is often mistaken for the bacterial infection of cellulitis.

What does cellulitis look like?

Cellulitis - Symptoms Experienced

The MedicineNet physician editors ask:

The symptoms of cellulitis can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your initial symptoms?

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