Resumen de Cellulitis

Kathleen A. Linder, Preeti N. Malani

• Cellulitis is an infection of the skin or underlying tissues.

  Bacteria can be introduced into the skin through an area of open skin, such as an insect bite. However, in many cases, there is not an obvious site where bacteria entered the skin. Once bacteria are in the skin, they cause redness and swelling that can spread rapidly. Cellulitis can happen almost anywhere on the body but the most common place it occurs is the lower legs.

  Signs of cellulitis include redness of the skin (especially redness that spreads rapidly along the skin), warmth under the skin, and fever. The affected area can be painful. Certain bacteria can cause pus to collect beneath the skin (abscesses) or create blisters (bullae). Many different bacteria can cause cellulitis, but the most common are streptococci (especially beta-hemolytic streptococci) and