Cutaneous abscess history and symptoms

Abscess Main page
Patient Information
Overview
Causes
Classification Anal Abscess Appendicular Abscess Brain Abscess Breast Abscess Colon Abscess Cutaneous Abscess Liver Abscess Lung Abscess Pancreatic Abscess Retropharyngeal Abscess Splenic Abscess Tonsillar and Peritonsillar Abscess
Differential Diagnosis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Symptoms

The cardinal symptoms and signs of any kind of inflammatory process are redness, heat, swelling, pain and loss of function. Abscesses may occur in any kind of solid tissue but most frequently on skin surface (where they may be superficial pustules (boils) or deep skin abscesses), in the lungs, brain, teeth, kidneys and tonsils.

Symptoms of an abscess depend largely on where the abscess forms. Some common symptoms include:

• Pain at the site of the abscess
• Chills
• Fever
• Decreased function in the affected part of the body
• General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
• Headache
• Local swelling, hardening of tissue
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of sensation in the affected area
• Nausea and vomiting
• Swelling