A clinical study of cellulitis / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

We reviewed the 43 medical records of patients with cellulitis or erysipelas who had been admitted at the depar1ment of dermatology of Seoul National University Hospital and followed them up for mean 21.6 months. The results were as follows. 1. The sex ratio of patients with cellulitis was 1:1.4 and the average age was 49 years. 2. The lower extremity as the most frequently invloved site of cellulitis with the frequency of 58.1% (25 cases), with the head and neck being involved in 16 cases(37.2%) and trunk and upper extremity in 1 case each(2.3% ). 3. The portals of infecticin were suspected in 33 cases(76% ), where tinea pedis was detect,ed in 18 cases(41.9%), previous skin infeection 10 cases(23.3%) and trauma in 9 cases(20.9%). 4. Initial systemic symptoms were fever(76.7%), chill(65.1%) and headache(37.2%). Erythema(100%), local heating(90,7%), tenderness(88.4%), swelling(86.0%), ulcer(16.3%), bulla(14.0%), lymphangitis(9.2%) and lymphadenit,is(9.2%) were found in the skin lesions. 5. The laboratory findings revealed leukocytosis in 35.7%, elevaed ESR in 86.8% positive 6. ASO titer in 63.0% and positive CRP in 80%, Microorganism. were detected in only 1 of 15 blood cultures, in 2 of 4 bulla fluid cultures and in 7 of 9 bus cultures. There was no growth of causative microorganisms in 3 tissue cultures and 9 saline needle aspiration cultures. Penicillin was used as primary antibiotics in 19 cases, which changed to another antibiotics due to lack of improvement in 3 cases and cefazolin was used in 21 cases, which changed in 2 cases due to the same reason. 7. Average admission priod was 11 days(range from 3 to 20 days) and 30.2% of patients wit.h cellulitis experienced recurrence, but 48% on low extrernity in contrast with 6.7% on head and neck.