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Illustrated Health Encyclopedia
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Ency. home > Disease > I > Impetigo

Impetigo    See images

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Symptoms

  • Skin lesion on the face/ 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 of the blister (vesicle):
    • Filled with yellow or honey-colored fluid
    • Oozing and crusting over
  • Rash (may begin as a single spot, but if child digs at 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.

Signs and Tests

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

Ency. home > Disease > I > Impetigo

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