This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages without signing in

Boil

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

A carbuncle describes confluent infection of multiple, contiguous hair follicles in which the infection is limited to the subcutaneous tissue by overlying dense skin and fascia. The causative organism is usually Staphylococcus aureus.

Carbuncles commonly occur on the back of the neck and in diabetics.

Treatment:

  • incision and drainage
  • antibiotics e.g. antistaphylococcal penicillins, erythromycin or clindamycin
  • measurement of blood glucose in non-diabetics

Click here for example images of this condition


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.