Impetigo

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Impetigo, bullous on the buttocks

Impetigo on a child's face

• Skin lesion on the face or lips, or on the arms or legs, spreading to other areas. Typically this lesion begins as a cluster of tiny blisters which burst, followed by oozing and the formation of a thick honey- or brown-colored crust that is firmly stuck to the skin.
• Itching blister:
  • Filled with yellow or honey-colored fluid
  • Oozing and crusting over
• Rash (may begin as a single spot, but if person scratches it, it may spread to other areas).
• In infants, a single or possibly multiple blisters filled with pus, easy to pop and -- when broken -- leave a reddish raw-looking base.
• Lymphadenopathy -- local lymph nodes near the infection may be swollen.

Diagnosis is based primarily on the appearance of the skin lesion. A culture of the skin or mucosal lesion usually grows streptococcus or staphylococcus.

Review Date: 10/16/2006
Reviewed By: Michael S. Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.