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Impetigo - Symptom

Symptoms:

  • 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.

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.

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