Cellulitis
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- Cellulitis Overview
- Cellulitis Causes
- Cellulitis Symptoms
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Cellulitis Treatment
- Next Steps
- Follow-up
- Prevention
- Outlook
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
- Related cellulitis articles:
Cellulitis - on WebMD
Cellulitis - on MedicineNet
Cellulitis Overview
Cellulitis is a common infection of the skin and the soft tissues underneath the skin. It occurs when bacteria invade broken or normal skin and start to spread under the skin and into the soft tissues. This results in infection and inflammation. Inflammation is a process in which the body reacts to the bacteria. Inflammation may cause swelling, redness, pain, and/or warmth.
- People at risk for developing cellulitis include those with trauma to the
skin or other medical problems such as the following:
- Diabetes
- Circulatory problems such as inadequate blood flow
to the limbs, poor venous or lymphatic drainage, or varicose veins
- Liver disease such
as chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis
- Skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis, infectious diseases that cause skin lesions such as chickenpox, or severe acne
- Diabetes
Next: Cellulitis Causes »
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Cellulitis - Symptoms Experienced
The symptoms of cellulitis can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your initial symptoms?
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Cellulitis
MRSA Infection Overview
MRSA is the abbreviation for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus is a group of bacteria, familiarly known as Staph (pronounced "staff"), that can cause a multitude of diseases as a result of infection of various tissues of the body. In 1959, methicillin, an antibiotic closely related to penicillin, was introduced to treat Staphylococcus and other bacterial infections. Within one to two years, Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (S. aureus) started to be isolated that were resistant to methicillin. These S. aureus bacteria were then termed methicillin-resistant. MRSA usually show resistance to many antibiotics.
Because MRSA is so antibiotic resistant, it is termed a "superbug" by some investigators. This superbug is a variation of an already recognized human pathogen, S. aureus, gram-posi...
Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine
Cellulitis »
Cellulitis is a term that describes the inflammatory response caused by bacteria in the skin below the epidermis.
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