Define Erysipelas Pictures - 54 Photos & Images
Erysipelas is a nonnecrotizing bacterial hypodermal cellulitis usually associated with streptococcal infection. It may be a mainly secondary complication of chronic lymphedema, and occurs in 20% to 30% of cases. The first presenting signs are sudden fever and shivering. The clinical feature is inflammatory plaque, which is often chronic and accompanied by fever. Inflammatory plaque is promoted by lymph stasis, and is marked by inflammatory episodes that often regress spontaneously. Erysipelas per se is mainly treated with antibiotics, and adjuvant therapies are not justified. The prevention of recurrence is primary. Since lymphedema is the first risk factor for recurrence, its treatment and risk of occurrence must be considered. This includes physiotherapy, well-adapted compression therapy, and avoidance of wounds.
The lymphatic system has a role in antigen presentation and defense against infection. Infection is the most common type of complication observed in lymphedema, and is promoted by lymphatic system dysfunction, which causes locoregional immune disorders. Infectious complications are primarily bacterial, and most commonly are erysipelas (cellulitis) and sometimes lymphangitis. ß-hemolytic streptococcus (groups A, C, G) is the organism usually (and even almost exclusively) observed in everyday practice. Bacterial complications are promoted by the abundance of proteins characteristic of edema in lymphatic insufficiency related to obstructed lymphatic vessels. This high protein content of the interstitial fluid is an ideal culture medium for the growth of bacteria.