Your skin and cellulitis What is cellulitis? Cellulitis is a
spreading infection of the skin that usually begins as a small
area of tenderness, swelling, and redness. As this red area
begins to spread, the person may develop a fever, sometimes with
chills and sweats, and swollen lymph glands near the area of
infected skin. Cellulitis is an infection involving the skin's
deeper layers; the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The main
bacteria involved in cellulitis is Staphylococcus, which also
causes many cases of impetigo, a more superficial skin
infection. Occasionally, other bacteria may cause cellulitis as
well. Where does cellulitis occur? Some cases of cellulitis
appear on areas of trauma, where the skin has broken open, such
as the skin near ulcers or surgical wounds. Many times, however,
cellulitis occurs where there has been no break in the skin at
all. In such cases, it is difficult to know where the bacteria
came from. Patients who have diabetes or impairment of the
immune system (for example, from HIV