Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Cellulitis

Cellulitis is an acute, spreading bacterial infection of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, distinguished clinically by poorly demarcated erythema, warmth, swelling, and tenderness of the affected area, often with systemic features such as fever. It arises when bacteria breach the skin barrier through cuts, fissure…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 6 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 9× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2471-2175 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Cellulitis is an acute, spreading bacterial infection of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, distinguished clinically by poorly demarcated erythema, warmth, swelling, and tenderness of the affected area, often with systemic features such as fever. It arises when bacteria breach the skin barrier through cuts, fissures, ulcers, insect bites, surgical wounds, or coexisting dermatoses, with beta-hemolytic streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus the predominant pathogens; the related entity erysipelas involves the more superficial upper dermis and lymphatics and tends to be sharply bordered. Predisposing factors include lymphedema, venous insufficiency, obesity, diabetes, and prior episodes, and the lower legs are the most common site. Diagnosis is largely clinical, since blood cultures and wound swabs are frequently unrevealing, which makes accurate recognition important and underlies efforts to evaluate the validity of diagnostic criteria and guidelines, particularly for non-facial presentations that mimic venous stasis, deep vein thrombosis, or other inflammatory conditions. Management centers on empirical antibiotics directed against streptococci and staphylococci, elevation, and treatment of the portal of entry and predisposing conditions to prevent recurrence. Untreated or severe cellulitis may progress to abscess, bacteremia, or necrotizing soft-tissue infection, so timely therapy is essential. Differentiating true cellulitis from its many noninfectious imitators remains a central clinical challenge.

Research published in this journal

6 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 6 articles above have been cited 9 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Cellulitis, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Dermatologic Research And Therapy (ISSN 2471-2175).

Journal editorial board
Wenbin Tan · United States Anand Rotte · United States David Fisher · United States

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.