Health Articles : Infections : Cellulitis
Cellulitis : Cellulitis Pathophysiology
Cellulitis Of The LegThe lower leg and the face are the most commonly affected area by cellulitis. Cellulitis is mainly an infection caused due to bacteria ..... Cellulitis generally follows a break in the skin, such as a fissure, cut, laceration, insect bite, or puncture wound. Patients with tinea pedis and those with lymphatic obstruction are chiefly vulnerable to recurrent episodes of cellulitis. Organisms on the skin and its appendages gain entry to the dermis and multiply to cause cellulitis. The vast majority of cases are caused by Streptococcus pyogenes or Staphylococcus aureus. Infrequently, cellulitis may be caused by the emergence of subjacent osteomyelitis. Cellulitis may hardly ever result from the metastatic seeding of an organism from a distant focus of infection, especially in immunocompromised individuals. This is chiefly common in cellulitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae and marine vibrios.
Cellulitis is an acute, dispersal infection of the dermis or subcutaneous layer of the skin. It might follow damage to the skin, such as a bite or wound. As the cellulitis spreads, fever, erythema, and lymphangitis may take place. Persons with comorbid conditions, such as diabetes, immunodeficiency, or impaired circulation, are at augmented risk. If treated promptly, the prognosis is generally good. As the offending organism assault the compromised area, it overwhelms the defensive cells like that of neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and mast cells that normally contain and localize inflammation and cellular debris accumulates. As cellulitis progresses, the organism occupy tissue around the initial wound.
The elderly and those with destabilized immune systems are especially vulnerable to contracting cellulitis. Diabetics are more prone to cellulitis than the general population because of impairment of the immune system; they are especially prone to cellulitis in the feet because their disease causes impairment of blood circulation in their legs leading to their having foot ulcers that commonly become infected. Immune-repressive drugs, HIV, and other illnesses or infections that weaken the immune system are also factors that make infection more likely. In addition, chickenpox and shingles frequently result in blisters that break, providing a gap in the skin that bacteria can enter through. Lymphedema, which causes swelling on the arms and/or legs, can also put an individual next to risk. Diseases that affect blood circulation in the legs and feet, such as chronic venous deficiency and varicose veins, are also risk factors for cellulitis.
Causes Of CellulitisCellulitis is a deep bacterial disease of the skin. The infection generally involves the face, or the arms and legs. It may take .....
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