ELI5- What’s the difference between cellulitis and an abscess?
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Cellulitis is an infection of the subcutaneous tissue I.e. the fat and connective tissue that underlies the skin. It can manifest as profuse swelling around a wound (for example, swelling of a portion of a limb).
An abscess is the body’s reaction to a foci (location in the body) where bacteria have been successfully able to establish. It is basically the body’s attempt to wall-off present bacteria in order for the white blood cells to eliminate them more effectively. The abscess is a capsule of tissue that fills with pus, which is the product of white blood cell breakdown as they fight to eliminate bacteria present at the site.
An abscess is a universal response to a small location where bacterial infection has occurred – it can occur in most tissues, however cellulitis only refers to infection of subcutaneous tissue.
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