Impetigo
Basics
Description
- Impetigo is a superficial skin infection seen frequently in children.
- It is one of the most common skin and soft tissue infections observed in pediatrics.
- Pyoderma and impetigo contagiosa are synonyms for impetigo.
- Classification
- Primary impetigo: direct bacterial invasion of previously normal skin
- Secondary impetigo: infection at sites of minor skin trauma or underlying conditions
- Types of impetigo
- Nonbullous impetigo
- Most common form, >70% of cases
- Lesions begin as papules that progress to vesicles surrounded by erythema.
- Subsequently, the papules mature into pustules that enlarge and break down to form thick, adherent, golden crusts.
- Bullous impetigo
- Vesicles enlarge to form bullae containing clear yellow fluid, which become darker and more turbid.
- Ruptured bullae leave a honey-colored crust.
- Ecthyma
- An ulcerative form of impetigo
- Lesions extend through the epidermis and deep into the dermis.
- Nonbullous impetigo
Epidemiology
- Location
- Most frequently in tropical or subtropical regions
- Also prevalent in northern climates during summer months
- Age:
- Found most commonly in children aged 2 to 5 years
- Can spread rapidly through child care centers and schools
Risk Factors
- Poverty, overcrowding
- Poor hygiene
- Underlying scabies infection
- Eczema
Etiology
- Staphylococcus aureus: most common etiologic agent. Toxin-producing strains cause cleavage in superficial skin layer.
- Impetigo due to community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) has occurred in a minority of cases.
- β-Hemolytic streptococci (primarily group A, but serogroups C and G have been implicated in some cases)
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Citation
Cabana, Michael D., editor. "Impetigo." 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 8th ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2019. Pediatrics Central, peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/617770/3.1/Impetigo.
Impetigo. In: Cabana MDM, ed. 5-Minute Pediatric Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2019. https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/617770/3.1/Impetigo. Accessed October 10, 2024.
Impetigo. (2019). In Cabana, M. D. (Ed.), 5-Minute Pediatric Consult (8th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/617770/3.1/Impetigo
Impetigo [Internet]. In: Cabana MDM, editors. 5-Minute Pediatric Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2019. [cited 2024 October 10]. Available from: https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/5-Minute-Pediatric-Consult/617770/3.1/Impetigo.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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