Furuncle/Carbuncle

Paul Auwaerter, M.D.

PATHOGENS

Staphylococcus aureus
- Cutaneous abscesses may be polymicrobial, while true furuncles and carbuncles are almost always due solely to S. aureus.
  - Occasionally due to other pathogens, especially in the immunosuppressed.
- Furuncle pathophysiology differs from routine abscesses (e.g., peri-rectal, breast) as it is based on the hair follicle.

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