Definition
Purulent inflammations of the skin are also called pyoderma and are usually caused by pus bacteria such as streptococci and staphylococci. Pus is a yellowish secretion that consists of melted tissue and inflammatory cells and is indicative of a bacterial infection. Pus under the skin is usually a painful, yellowish secretion surrounded by reddened and irritated skin, which can lead to abscesses. The causes and accompanying clinical pictures are manifold.
Causes for the development of pus
The causes of pus accumulation under the skin are usually infections with pus bacteria such as staphylococci and streptococci. A disease often triggered by staphylococci, which usually affects the skin of small children in the area between the chin and nose, is called contagious impetigo. This is characterized by itchy, flabby blisters with honey-yellow crusts, which are highly contagious.
As a skin appendage, an infection of the hair follicle can also lead to small accumulations of pus under the skin, which are called boils or carbuncles, depending on their severity. These impress as small or larger, melting “pimples” on reddened skin (boils), usually with a hair in the center. The cause can be a weakness in the body’s immune system, e.g. due to diabetes mellitus.
On the finger or toe, pus appears under the skin in the form of a nail ulcer (circulation, panaritium). This is a painful infection of the nail bed with accumulation of pus, which is usually caused by the penetration of bacteria through the smallest injuries, as in manicure. If deeper layers of the skin and the underlying connective tissue are affected, it is called phlegmon.
This usually manifests itself by a blurred, extensive and painful reddening of the skin, which can be accompanied by fever and a feeling of illness. Immediate antibiotic and possibly surgical treatment is unavoidable. If pus forms due to an inflammatory tissue fusion, which is subsequently surrounded by a capsule, this is called an abscess.
On the finger or toe, pus appears under the skin in the form of a nail ulcer (circulation, panaritium). This is a painful infection of the nail bed with pus accumulation, which is usually caused by the penetration of bacteria through the smallest of injuries, as with manicures. If deeper layers of the skin and the underlying connective tissue are affected, it is called phlegmon.
This usually manifests itself by a blurred, extensive and painful reddening of the skin, which can be accompanied by fever and a feeling of illness. Immediate antibiotic and possibly surgical treatment is unavoidable. If pus forms due to an inflammatory tissue fusion, which is subsequently surrounded by a capsule, this is called an abscess.
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