The Anatomy Of Cellulitis

Cellulitis is the infection of the skin and soft tissues typified by swelling, redness, warmth, and pain in the affected areas. The severity of the infection depends on its opportunity to spread and affect other parts of the skin or body. Its infectious nature alone involves complex processes that can become deadly. In fact, cellulitis can affect virtually any part of the body, which is why there are several types of cellulitis, including facial, breast, leg, perianal, periorbital, and orbital cellulitis. This article will discuss cellulitis pathophysiology.

Risk Factors Linked To The Onset Of Cellulitis

Cellulitis is often triggered by broken skin, such as with lacerations, cuts, puncture wounds, fissures, and animal/insect bites. Cellulitis can also be more prevalent among individuals who have lymphatic obstruction, toe web intertrigo, tinea pedis, pressure ulcers, venous insufficiency, obesity, impaired immune systems, and diabetes.

What Happens Under The Microscope

When the infectious bacterium invades a vulnerable area (such as an open wound), it overcomes the defensive cells in our body, which includes mast cells, eosinophils, basophils, and neutrophils. These defecnsive cells often act to hold inflammation in just one area. When infection further progresses cellular debris builds up, and infectious bacteria soon engulfs tissue surrounding and located at the affected area.

Cellulitis pathophysiology: Complications

If the affected area is left untreated, complication is a high possibility. When the skin turns red or a rash occurs, this may indicate a deeper and more severe infection. In this case, infection has most likely reached the inner layers of the skin. When the infectious bacteria are able to reach below the skin, they can spread faster. In this case, bacteria are able to get into the lymph nodes, reach the bloodstream and extend all throughout the body.

The infection can spread so easily that if left untreated, bacteria can spread to the deep layer of tissue, or fascial lining. This is called a deep-layer infection. This type of infection is characterized by the flesh-eating strep or necrotizing fasciitis. The prevalence of this condition is quite rare, but individuals who do not treat severe cellulitis definitely have a higher risk of developing necrotizing fasciitis.

Streptoccoccus pyogenes is responsible for the flesh-eating strep and actually belongs to the group A streptococcus type of bacteria that causes cellulitis. The flesh-eating bacteria spreads in the deeper skin layer, as that area of the body is softer. Bacteria initially break through the protective skin layer. These organisms contain enzymes that digest protein and therefore enable them to eat their way through the fascia. Soon the bacteria is able to reach muscles and tendons. The fascia becomes liquefied with the enzymes and provide bacteria with the perfect condition to thrive and proliferate at a faster rate. Extremely serious cases like this requires emergency treatment, which may involve surgical procedures, IV antibiotics, oral antibiotics, supportive therapy, or a combination of these.

Cellilitis pathophysiology may vary among the different types of celliulitis. For instance, the signs and symptoms surrounding orbital cellulitis (infection of the eye) can be a manifestation of other health conditions such as sinus problems. The most typical paths of infection in this case come from the sinuses or teeth and/or injury in those areas. Proper diagnosis will often determine any underlying cause of cellulitis or the severity of the infection.