Cellulitis

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

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.

Start Here

• Cellulitis (VisualDX)
• Cellulitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Cellulitis Infection: Is It Contagious? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Cellulitis: How to Prevent Recurrent Episodes (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Group A Streptococcal Infections (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

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

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Cellulitis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Efficacy and safety of first- and second-line antibiotics for cellulitis and...
• Article: Comprehensive Statistical Approach to Investigate the Risk Factors Affecting the Occurrences...
• Article: Association of Cellulitis With Obesity: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
• Cellulitis -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Find a Dermatologist (American Academy of Dermatology)
• Find an Ophthalmologist (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Teenagers

• Cellulitis (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

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