In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
The most important bacterial skin diseases are caused by streptococci, staphylococci or mixed staphylococcal-streptococcal infections.
Rose
It is a streptococcal infection usually associated with previous skin trauma, often with erosions of the epidermis in the course of athlete’s foot. Most often, the lesion is located on the face or lower limbs.
symptoms
There is a high fever (39–40 ° C), chills, and severe erythema, swelling, sometimes blisters, haemorrhagic or necrotic changes. The latter leave ulcers that heal for a long time. The rose leaves no immunity, conversely, recurrent rose is common. Usually it causes obliteration changes in the lymph vessels and as a consequence of the so-called elephantiasis of the limbs, lips, cheek, etc.
Treatment: antibiotics, sometimes sulfonamides; should always be guided by a doctor.
Phlegmon
It is a deeper streptococcal infection than erysipelas and is often a consequence of it. The purulent process spreads into deep tissue spaces and has no clear boundaries. It leads to extensive tissue damage, often with deep abscesses.
Treatment: incision, drainage, general antibiotics.
Staphylococcal inflammation of the hair follicle
It appears as a single pustule located at the mouth of the follicle and usually pierced by a hair. Such a single eruption is common, especially in premenstrual women.
Treatment: local disinfectants are sufficient.
Staphylococcal ficus, which is a chronic staphylococcal inflammation of the beard hair follicle
It occurs in the facial hair area of men and is characterized by a particularly chronic course. There are numerous follicular lumps and pustules on the skin of the chin, drying into scabs and may leave scarring.
Treatment it is difficult and long-lasting.
Boil
It is a staphylococcal infection that covers the entire depth of the hair follicle and its surroundings.
In the first stage of the formation of a boil, a painful lump appears on the skin, then a pustule, an inflammatory nodule, at the top of which a necrotic plug forms. This plug must separate itself, pus flows out from under it, the soreness subsides, but an ulcer forms that leaves a scar. A boil located on the face above the upper lip can even be life-threatening and absolutely must not be kneaded.
Treatment
In case of boils on the face, immediate use of antibiotics. Boils in a different location can only be treated locally, or surgically incised.
Furunculosis
It is prone to multiple or recurring boils. Blood glucose tests should be performed.
Classical boil (carbuncle)
Several or a dozen or so adjacent hair follicles are infected with staphylococcal infection, which results in an inflammatory reaction, a necrotic plug, and eventually ulceration, which can be very large. Carbuncle often signals the existence of diabetes mellitus: therefore blood glucose levels should be measured.
Contagious impetigo
It is a mixed staphylococcal-streptococcal infection, especially common in children. Most often it is located on the face near the mouth or on the limbs at the site of injuries. The first lesions are very unstable blisters, often unnoticed by the parents. After rupturing, oozing erosions are formed, covered with honey-yellow scabs. These lesions are very contagious and usually the baby moves them to other areas of the skin by itself.
Treatment
Necessary disinfectant treatment ordered by a doctor.
A variety of impetigo is the so-called secondary lichinosis, i.e. the overlap of a mixed staphylococcal-streptococcal infection on another, most often itchy skin disease. Secondary lysis on the scalp is usually a signal of head lice. In extreme cases, extensive scabs from secondary infection may stick the hair into a lumpy mass that cannot be combed and requires cutting (so-called knots).
Bacterial displacement
It is also a mixed staphylococcal-streptococcal infection, located in the folds of the body in people who are stout, easily sweating (often diabetic). Swelling and redness of the skin appear in these places, clearly limited from the surroundings, more pronounced in the depths of the fold, where erosions and oozing usually occur.
Read also: Contagious impetigo