Inflammation Pictures

Furuncle in Nose

Thu 11 Feb 2016 23:10:00 +0200

Furuncle is defined as an acute suppurative inflammation of a hair follicle.Boil is only seen on hairy skin so it is found only in the vestibule of the nose. The vestibule of the nose has a lateral and medial walls lined by thick skin which contain hairs.The inflammation may occur either in the lateral or medial wall or at the junction of the two or at the floor. Furuncle is caused by the Staphyllococcus albus and aureus.

Hidradenitis

Mon 01 Feb 2016 22:44:00 +0200

Hidradenitis suppurativa causes you to get painful bumps under your skin near some of your sweat glands. There's no cure, but treatments and lifestyle changes can bring some relief and cut down on flare-ups. The sweat glands that cause you problems are called apocrine glands. They're located where you have hair, such as under your arms, in the groin, and between the buttocks. But you can also get outbreaks in places where your skin rubs together, such as between your thighs or, for women, under the breasts. The bumps can get infected. When that happens, pockets form under the skin and fill with pus that smells bad when they break open. They can leave scars, too. To keep new bumps from forming, get treatment as soon as you can.

Strep Throat Scarlet Fever

Mon 01 Feb 2016 20:56:00 +0200

Scarlet fever results from group A strep infection. If your child has a sore throat and rash, their doctor can test for strep. Quick treatment with antibiotics can protect your child from possible long-term health problems. Scarlet fever – or scarlatina – is a bacterial infection caused by group A Streptococcus or "group A strep." This illness affects a small percentage of people who have strep throat or, less commonly, streptococcal skin infections. Scarlet fever is treatable with antibiotics and usually is a mild illness, but it needs to be treated to prevent rare but serious long-term health problems. Treatment with antibiotics also helps clear up symptoms faster and reduces spread to other people. Although anyone can get scarlet fever, it usually affects children between 5 and 15 years old. The classic symptom of the disease is a certain type of red rash that feels rough, like sandpaper.

Group A strep bacteria can live in a person's nose and throat. The bacteria are spread through contact with droplets from an infected person's cough or sneeze. If you touch your mouth, nose, or eyes after touching something that has these droplets on it, you may become ill. If you drink from the same glass or eat from the same plate as the sick person, you could also become ill. It is possible to get scarlet fever from contact with sores from group A strep skin infections.

Illness usually begins with a fever and sore throat. There also may be chills, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The tongue may have a whitish coating and appear swollen. It may also have a "strawberry"-like (red and bumpy) appearance. The throat and tonsils may be very red and sore, and swallowing may be painful. One or two days after the illness begins, the characteristic red rash appears (although the rash can appear before illness or up to 7 days later). Certain strep bacteria produce a toxin (poison) which causes some people to break out in the rash—the "scarlet" of scarlet fever. The rash may first appear on the neck, underarm, and groin (the area where your stomach meets your thighs), then spread over the body. Typically, the rash begins as small, flat red blotches which gradually become fine bumps and feel like sandpaper. Although the cheeks might have a flushed appearance, there may be a pale area around the mouth. Underarm, elbow, and groin skin creases may become brighter red than the rest of the rash. These are called Pastia's lines. The scarlet fever rash generally fades in about 7 days. As the rash fades, the skin may peel around the finger tips, toes, and groin area. This peeling can last up to several weeks. Scarlet fever is treatable with antibiotics. Since either viruses or other bacteria can also cause sore throats, it's important to ask the doctor about getting a strep test (a simple swab of the throat) if your child complains of having a sore throat. If the test is positive, meaning your child is infected with group A strep bacteria, your child's doctor will prescribe antibiotics to avoid possible, although rare, long-term health problems, reduce symptoms, and prevent further spread of the disease.

Long-term health problems from scarlet fever may include:
Rheumatic fever (an inflammatory disease that can affect the heart, joints, skin, and brain)
Kidney disease (inflammation of the kidneys, called poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis)
Otitis media (ear infections)
Skin infections
Abscesses of the throat
Pneumonia (lung infection)
Arthritis (joint inflammation)
Most of these health problems can be prevented by treatment with antibiotics.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Mon 01 Feb 2016 20:55:00 +0200

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic, scarring disease that affects the apocrine, or sweat glands. It is a common skin condition but is frequently misdiagnosed. Hidradenitis suppurativa does not occur before puberty. Most people are between 20 to 40 years old when they develop hidradenitis suppurativa. It can be a disabling and distressing skin condition.

The exact cause of hidradenitis suppurativa is disputed. Because it looks similar to acne, some investigators believe that it is caused by the formation of keratin plugs in the follicles. Because hidradenitis suppurativa occurs in areas that contain apocrine, or sweat, glands, other investigators believe that it is caused by a blockage of the apocrine gland. In either case, the plugged gland or follicle becomes larger, ruptures, and becomes infected. Obesity and cigarette smoking may be triggering factors.

Hidradenitis suppurativa occurs in areas of the body that contain sweat glands including the armpits, groin, buttocks, scalp, and under the female breast. When the condition is mild it may only present as a cluster of 2 or 3 blackheads that communicate under the skin. Once the disease begins, it gets progressively worse. The extensive, deep inflammation leads to painful abscesses. These heal incompletely and cause cord-like scars on the skin. The infection can progress under the skin in tracts linking the abscesses. These boils can be very painful and restrict movement of the affected area.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is diagnosed clinically based on its appearance. There are no lab tests or biopsies that establish the diagnosis. In the early stages, it can be misdiagnosed as an isolated boils. Many people are embarrassed by the multiple infections thinking they are ingrown hairs in sensitive areas. They do not go to the health care provider until the boils have become numerous or intolerable.

Hidradenitis Groin

Mon 01 Feb 2016 20:55:00 +0200

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a disease that usually begins as pimple-like bumps on the skin. The pimple-like bumps tend to develop in places that everyday pimples do not appear. HS is most common on the underarms and groin.

Some people say that their hidradenitis suppurativa looks like one of these skin conditions: Pimples Deep-acne like cysts and blackheads Folliculitis (looks like swollen pimple with a hair in the center) Boils

Getting treatment for hidradenitis suppurativa is important. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent hidradenitis suppurativa from worsening. If HS worsens, the pimple-like bumps can grow deep into the skin and become painful. They can rupture, leaking bloodstained pus onto clothing. This fluid often has a foul odor.

As the deep bumps heal, scars can form. Some people develop tunnel-like tracts under their skin. As the skin continues to heal and scar, the scars thicken. When thick scars form in the underarm, moving the arm can be difficult. Thick scars in the groin area can make walking difficult. Because hidradenitis suppurativa can look lot like acne, folliculitis, or boils, it is best to see a dermatologist for a diagnosis. To a dermatologist’s trained eye, the differences between hidradenitis suppurativa and other skin diseases are subtle but obvious. Proper treatment depends on an accurate diagnosis.

Axillary Hidradenitis

Mon 01 Feb 2016 20:55:00 +0200

Hidradenitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by recurrent nodules and abscesses, typically of apocrine gland-bearing skin. Lesions can progress to sinus tracts and fistulae, and, when healed, can lead to severe scarring and fibrosis. It typically occurs in the groin, inframammary, and axillary regions. It has long been thought of as a disease of the apocrine glands, but more recent literature indicates the etiology to be follicular obstruction. Keratinous plugging of the hair follicle causes dilation of the follicle and eventual rupture. Follicular contents are extruded into the surrounding tissue, which triggers an acute local inflammatory response. Bacteria, if trapped in the follicle, are released as well, and superinfection may be present. However, the role of bacterial infection is controversial as cultures are often sterile, and antibiotics are not always effective. The defect appears to be inherent to the hair follicle, which explains the chronicity and relapsing nature of the disease. Age of onset is typically in the twenties, and the disease tends to wane over the course of 20 years or so with complete cessation in many cases.

Risk factors for hidradenitis are not completely understood but include obesity, smoking, and genetics. Hyperandrogenism had once been thought to play a role, but evidence to support this is conflicting. Obesity is thought to exacerbate the disease process through shearing forces, hormone imbalance, and increased skin surface area. It is also associated with increased levels of circulating cytokines, which contributes to the overall inflammatory process of hidradenitis.

Cigarette smoking appears to play a role although specific causative factors remain to be seen. Nicotine initially stimulates eccrine sweat glands but eventually inhibits glandular function, which may contribute to follicular clogging. It also induces expression of cytokines and stimulates chemotaxis of neutrophils.

Hidradenitis is likely multifactorial, but there is evidence suggesting an autosomal dominant form of the disease. The transmission rate in one study was less than 50%, which would be expected in autosomal dominant inheritance; the authors postulated incomplete penetrance of the gene. Chromosomes 6, 19, and 1 have been associated with hidradenitis, but they cannot account for all cases.

There are currently no established medical therapies to treat active disease and prevent recurrence. Immunosuppressants and antibiotics have limited efficacy. Surgical treatment varies for different stages of the disease. Abscesses should be drained, packed, and left open to avoid closing a possibly contaminated wound. Sinus tracts require unroofing and aggressive exploration of the base as there may be additional tracts. For larger areas of disease, extensive local excision is best. Areas of both active and chronic disease must be removed. Sinus tracts often have visible granulomatous disease that need to be excised. Options for coverage include skin grafting, local transposition flaps, and rarely, pedicled flaps or free tissue transfer. Alternatively, wounds can be left to heal by secondary intention, which often works well.

Boil on Leg

Thu 21 Jan 2016 21:06:00 +0200

A boil is a common, painful infection of a hair follicle and the surrounding skin. It begins as a red lump, then fills with pus as white blood cells rush in to fight the infection. Good home care can often clear up a single boil, also known as a skin abscess. A doctor's care is needed when a boil resists treatment or develops in certain vulnerable areas of the body.