From the Guidelines
A carbuncle is a coalescent inflammatory mass with pus draining from multiple follicular orifices, resulting from infection involving several adjacent hair follicles, typically caused by S. aureus 1.
Key Characteristics
- Develops most commonly on the back of the neck, especially in individuals with diabetes 1
- Larger and deeper than furuncles 1
- Typically requires incision and drainage for treatment, with systemic antimicrobials usually unnecessary unless fever or other evidence of systemic infection is present 1
Diagnosis and Management
- Gram stain and culture of pus from carbuncles are recommended, but treatment without these studies is reasonable in typical cases 1
- Incision and drainage is the recommended treatment for carbuncles, with the decision to administer antibiotics directed against S. aureus made based on the presence or absence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) 1
From the Research
Definition of a Carbuncle
A carbuncle is defined as:
- A painful subcutaneous mass of interconnected infected hair follicles with multiple discharging sinuses 2
- A suppurative infection of adjacent multiple hair follicles and their surrounding tissues, mostly caused by Staphylococcus aureus 3
- A collection of boils 4
Characteristics of a Carbuncle
Key characteristics of a carbuncle include:
- It can occur on various parts of the body, such as the face, neck, back, and other areas with thicker skin 5, 6, 2, 3
- It can spread to the subcutaneous tissue and cause extensive subcutaneous infection 3
- It is especially common in people with low immunity, such as those with diabetes, nephritis, and malnutrition 2, 3
Complications of a Carbuncle
Possible complications of a carbuncle include: