Clinical Mimics: An Emergency Medicine-Focused Review of Cellulitis Mimics

The Journal of Emergency Medicine
Garrett BlumbergAlex Koyfman

Abstract

Cellulitis is a common clinical condition with low rates of morbidity and mortality if treated appropriately. Mimics of cellulitis presenting with erythema, edema, warmth, and pain can be associated with grave morbidity and mortality if misdiagnosed. This review investigates the signs and symptoms of cellulitis, mimics of cellulitis, and an approach to the management of both cellulitis and its mimics. The current emergency medicine definition of cellulitis includes erythema, induration, warmth, and swelling. Given the common pathophysiologic pathways, cellulitis mimics often present in an analogous manner. These conditions include septic bursitis, septic joint, deep vein thrombosis, phlegmasia cerulea dolens, necrotizing fasciitis, flexor tenosynovitis, fight bite (closed fist injury), orbital cellulitis, toxic shock syndrome, erysipelas, abscess, felon, paronychia, and gouty arthritis. Many of these diseases have high morbidity and mortality if missed by the emergency physician. Differentiating these mimics from cellulitis can be difficult in the fast-paced emergency setting. A combination of history, physical examination, and focused diagnostic assessment may assist in correctly identifying the underlying etiology. For many o...Continue Reading

Citations

Apr 11, 2020·Vascular Specialist International·Jihee Kang, Yang-Jin Park
Aug 10, 2020·Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology·Chethan Rangappa HanumakkaLaxmisha Chandrashekar
Jul 16, 2021·Expert Review of Clinical Immunology·Michael GoldenbergBenjamin H Kaffenberger
Dec 10, 2021·Journal of Wound Care·Dixa B Thakrar, Muhammad J Sultan

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