1B skin infections and infestations Flashcards
What is folliculitis?
Inflammation or infection of a hair follicle or other sebaceous unit
How does folliculitis present and what can it be associated with?
- Follicular erythema; sometimes pustular
- May be infectious or non-infectious
- Eosinophilic (non-infectious) is associated with HIV.
What can recurrent folliculitis arise from?
Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus, particularly strains expressing Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)
How is folliculitis treated?
- Antibiotics (flucloxacillin or erythromycin)
- Incision and drainage is required for furunculosis)
What is the difference between a furuncle and a carbuncle?
- A furuncle is a deep follicular abscess
- Involvement with adjacent connected follicles
= Carbuncle.
- Involvement with adjacent connected follicles
- Carbuncle - more likely to lead to complications such as cellulitis and septicaemia
Why might recurrent cases of folliculitis arise?
- Establishment of Staph aureus as a part of the resident microbial flora
- Abundant in nasal flora
-
Immune deficiency
- Hypogammaglobulinaemia
- HyperIgE syndrome – deficiency
- Chronic granulomatous disease
- AIDS
- Diabetes Mellitus
What is PVL Staph Aureus and what does it do?
Panton Valentine Leukocidin Staphylococcus Aureua
- β-pore-forming exotoxin
- Leukocyte destruction and tissue necrosis
- Leads to high morbidity, mortality and transmissibility
How does PVL staph aureus affect the skin?
- Recurrent and painful abscess
- Folliculitis
- Cellulitis
Often painful, more than one site, recurrent, present in contacts
What extracutaneous presentations are there of PVL staph aureus infection?
- Necrotising pneumonia
- Necrotising fasciitis
- Purpura fulminans
What are the risks of acquiring PVL Staph aureus?
5C’s
- Close contact
- Contaminated items
- Crowding
- Cleanliness
- Cuts and grazes
What is the treatment of PVL Staph Aureus infection?
- Consult local microbiolost/guidelines
- Antibiotics (often tetracycline)
- Decolonisation
- Chlorhexidine body wash for 7 days
- Nasal application of mupirocin ointment for 5 days
- Treatment of close contacts
What is cellulitis and how does it present?
- Infection of lower dermis and subcutaneous tissue
- Tender swelling with ill-defined blanching erythema or oedema
Oedema is a predisposing factor
What is cellulitis most commonly caused by?
Streptococcus pyogenes and staphylococcus aureus
What is the treatment for cellulitis?
Systemic antibiotics
What is impetigo?
Superficial bacterial infection, stuck-on, honey-coloured crusts overlying an erosion.
What is impetigo caused by?
Caused by
- Streptococci (non-bullous)
or
- Staphylococci (bullous)
Caused by exfoliative toxins A & B, split epidermis by targeting desmoglein I.
Where does impetigo often affect?
Face (perioral, ears, nares)
How is impetigo treated?
Topical +/- systemic antibiotics
Where does impetiginisation occur and by what?
In atopic dermatitis
- Gold crust
- Staphylococcus aureus
What is borreliosis (lyme disease)?
- Annular erythema develops at site of the bite of a Borrelia-infected tick
- Bite from Ixodes tick infected with Borrelia burgdorferi
What are the initial cutaneous manifestations of borreliosis?
Erythema migrans (only in 75%)
- Erythematous papule at the bite site
- Progression to annular erythema of >20cm
How does borreliosis present?
- 1-30 days after infection, fever, headache
- Multiple secondary lesions develop - similar but smaller to initial lesion
-
Neuroborreliosis
- Facial palsy / other CN palsies
- Aseptic meningitis
- Polyradiculitis
- Arthritis – painful and swollen large joints (knee is the most affected join)
- Carditis
What investigations are done for borreliosis?
- Serology not sensitive
- Histopathology - non-specific
- High index of suspicion required for diagnosis
What is syphilis and what does it cause?
- Treponema pallidum
- Primary infection Chancre -painless ulcer with a firm indurated border
- Painless regional lymphadenopathy one week after the primary chancre
- Chancre appears within 10-90 days
When does secondary syphilis occur?
~50 days after chancre
How does secondary syphilis present?
- Malaise
- Fever
- Headache
- Pruritus
- Loss of appetite
- Iritis
- ‘Great mimicker’
- Rash
- Alopecia
- Mucous patches
- Lymphadenopathy
- Residual primary chancre
- Condylomata lata
- Hepatosplenomegaly