Infect Chemother.  2012 Apr;44(2):45-50. 10.3947/ic.2012.44.2.45.

Clinical Characteristics and Organisms Causing Erysipelas and Cellulitis

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
  • 2Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. molder@unitel.co.kr
  • 3Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 4Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 5Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University School of Medicine, Bucheon, Korea.
  • 6Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
  • 7Department of Internal Medicine, Chosun University School of Medicine, Gwangju, Korea.
  • 8Division of Infectious Diseases, Daegu Fatima Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
  • 9Department of Internal Medicine, National Police Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Although erysipelas and cellulitis are common soft tissue infectious diseases, there have been a few studies which investigate clinical characteristics and causative organisms in Korea.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who had been diagnosed with erysipelas or cellulitis from ten general hospitals between January 2009 and February 2011.
RESULTS
During the study period, a total of 144 patients with erysipelas and 735 with cellulitis were recruited. The mean age of erysipelas patients was 53.6 years, and that of cellulitis patients was 47.5 years. Diabetes mellitus was the most common underlying disease in both groups. The most common site of erysipelas was the face (80.6%) and that of cellulitis was the lower extremity (64.9%). Culture studies have been done in 31.9% (46/144) of patients with erysipelas, and 41.1% (302/735) with cellulites. Causative organisms were identified in 3 patients (2.1%) with erysipelas and 57 (7.8%) with cellulitis. Streptococcus pyogenes was isolated from two patients with erysipelas, and group G streptococcus from one. Staphylococcus aureus (44.0%) was the most common isolate in patients with cellulitis, followed by streptococci (27.1%), Enteobateriaceae (11.9%), and Vibrio species (6.8%). First-generation cephalosporin was the most commonly used antimicrobial agent in both groups.
CONCLUSIONS
beta-hemolytic streptococcus and S. aureus were the most common causative organisms of patients with erysipelas and cellulitis.

Keyword

Cellulitis; Erysipelas

MeSH Terms

Cellulitis
Communicable Diseases
Diabetes Mellitus
Erysipelas
Hospitals, General
Humans
Lower Extremity
Medical Records
Retrospective Studies
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus
Streptococcus pyogenes
Vibrio

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Yee Gyung Kwak, Seong-Ho Choi, Tark Kim, Seong Yeon Park, Soo-Hong Seo, Min Bom Kim, Sang-Ho Choi
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Microbiology and Antimicrobial Therapy for Diabetic Foot Infections
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