Definition

Noun: * A bacterial skin infection: Cellulitis is a common, potentially serious bacterial infection of the skin and the soft tissues beneath it. It is characterized by the rapid spread of redness, swelling, warmth, and pain in the affected area, often accompanied by fever.

Usage

Cellulitis typically requires medical treatment with antibiotics. It most commonly occurs on the lower legs but can appear anywhere on the body. The infection enters through a break in the skin, such as a cut, ulcer, or insect bite.

Examples

• The patient was admitted to the hospital with severe cellulitis of the left leg.
• Untreated cellulitis can spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream.
• A common symptom of cellulitis is a red, swollen area of skin that feels tender and warm to the touch.

Advanced Usage

• "Orbital cellulitis": A specific and dangerous type of cellulitis involving the eye socket tissues behind the orbital septum. This is a medical emergency.
  • The child's sinus infection led to a complication: orbital cellulitis.
• "Perianal cellulitis": Inflammation and infection of the skin around the anus, often seen in children.
  • The pediatrician diagnosed the rash as perianal cellulitis.

Variants and Related Words

• Cellulitic (adjective): Pertaining to or affected by cellulitis.
  • The cellulitic region was carefully monitored.

Synonyms

• Skin infection
• Soft tissue infection
• Dermohypodermitis (technical/medical term)

Notes on Meaning

While the core definition refers to a bacterial infection, in broader medical terminology, the suffix "-itis" denotes inflammation. Therefore, "cellulitis" literally means inflammation of the cellular tissue. However, in common clinical usage, it is understood to be an infectious process. Non-infectious inflammation of similar tissues would typically be described with other terms.

Noun

1. an inflammation of body tissue (especially that below the skin) characterized by fever and swelling and redness and pain