Carbunculosis

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Skin layers

Skin infection - staphylococcal; Infection - skin - staph; Staph skin infection; Carbuncles

• Skin lesion
  • Is a papule or nodule
  • Usually is pea-sized, may occasionally be as large as a golf ball
  • Is usually swollen
  • Is pink or red
  • May grow rapidly
  • May develop white or yellow centers (pustules )
  • May weep, ooze, or crust
  • May be located with hair follicles
  • Is tender, mildly to moderately painful
  • May be single or multiple
  • May run together (coalesce) or spread to other skin areas
  • May increase in painfulness as pus and dead tissue fills the area
  • May decrease in painfulness as the area drains
• Skin redness or inflammation around the boil
• Fever (occasionally)
• Fatigue (occasionally)
• General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (occasionally)

Itching of the skin may occur before the skin lesions develop.

Diagnosis is primarily based on the appearance of the skin. A skin biopsy and bacterial culture of the lesion may help to make the diagnosis or determine the exact type of bacteria involved.

Review Date: 04/30/2005
Reviewed By: Jonathan Kantor, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.