Ecthyma

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ecthyma

[′ek·thə·mə]

(medicine)

An inflammatory skin disease characterized by large flat pustules that ulcerate and become crusted, and are surrounded by a distinct inflammatory areola.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Ecthyma

 

a purulent skin disease caused mainly by streptococci penetrating the skin after minor trauma. The development of the disease is promoted by lowered resistance, metabolic disorders, and vitamin deficiency. A blister forms on the skin, most commonly on the legs. It has an inflammatory infiltrate at the base and purulent or purulent-bloody contents that dry into a crust which, after falling off, reveals a painful ulcer with steep edges and an uneven bottom covered by pus. Ecthyma heals gradually, leaving a scar.

Treatment consists in the application of disinfectant and epithelizing ointments. In severe cases, when deep, multiple eruptions occur, antibiotics are administered. Prevention requires treating bruises with disinfectant solutions.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.