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A carbuncle is a red, swollen, painful cluster of boils that are connected to each other deeper under the skin.
- A boil (or furuncle) is an infection of a hair follicle that has a small collection of pus (called an abscess) under the skin.
- A carbuncle is larger than a single boil, measuring up to 4 inches across.
- A carbuncle usually has one or more openings that drain pus onto the skin.
- They affect males more frequently than females, and especially older men with poor health or a weakened immune system.
- When a person has many carbuncles, the condition is called carbunculosis.
- Most carbuncles are caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which inhabit the skin surface, throat, and nasal passages. These bacteria can cause infection by entering the skin through a hair follicle, small scrape, or puncture, although sometimes there is no obvious point of entry. Areas most likely to be affected are the face, back of the neck, armpits, thighs and buttocks.
Pus -- a mixture of old and dead white blood cells, bacteria, and dead skin cells -- carbuncles must drain before they're able to heal. Carbuncles are more likely than boils to leave scars.
An active boil or carbuncle is contagious: the infection can spread to other parts of the person's body or to other people through skin-to-skin contact or the sharing of personal items.
Risk Factors for Carbuncles
- People of any age can develop carbuncles from irritations or abrasions to the skin surface caused by tight clothing, shaving, or insect bites, especially in body areas with heavy perspiration.
- Older age, obesity, poor hygiene, and poor overall health are associated with carbuncles.
- Chronic skin conditions, which damage the skin's protective barrier such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema
- Diabetes - high levels of blood sugar, or glucose, can reduce the immune system's ability to respond to infection.
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Any condition or treatment that weakens the immune system
- Some medications weaken the immune system
- Close contact with a person who has a staph infection.
- Carbuncles also can occur in otherwise healthy, fit, younger people, especially those who live together in group settings such as college dorms and share items such as bed linens, towels, or clothing.
- People of any age can develop carbuncles from irritations or abrasions to the skin surface caused by tight clothing, shaving, or insect bites, especially in body areas with heavy perspiration.
Symptoms of Carbuncles
- The boils that collect to form carbuncles usually start as small red, painful bumps and can enlarge to more than 2 inches (5 centimeters)
- The carbuncle fills with pus and develops white or yellow tips that weep, ooze, or crust. Over a period of several days, many untreated carbuncles rupture, discharging a creamy white or pink fluid.
- Superficial carbuncles -- which have multiple openings on the skin's surface -- are less likely to leave a deep scar. Deep carbuncles are more likely to cause significant scarring.
- Other carbuncle symptoms include fever, fatigue, and a feeling of general sickness. Swelling may occur in nearby tissue and lymph nodes, especially lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, or groin.
Complications of Carbuncles
- There is a risk of secondary infection, which is when the infection spreads to other parts of the body. Cellulitis is one type of potentially serious secondary infection that can occur.
- Sometimes, carbuncles are caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria, and require treatment with potent prescription antibiotics if the lesions are not drained properly.
- In rare cases, bacteria from a carbuncle can escape into the bloodstream and cause serious complications, including sepsis and infections in other parts of the body such as the lung, bones, joints, heart, blood, and central nervous system.
- Sepsis is an overwhelming infection of the body that is a medical emergency and can be fatal if left untreated. (see: WebMD – Slideshow: What is Sepsis? Symptoms, Treatment, and More)
- Symptoms include chills, a spiking fever, rapid heart rate, and a feeling of being extremely ill.
- Sepsis is an overwhelming infection of the body that is a medical emergency and can be fatal if left untreated. (see: WebMD – Slideshow: What is Sepsis? Symptoms, Treatment, and More)
- The infection is contagious and may spread to other areas of the body, or other people; those living in the same residence may develop carbuncles at the same time.
Statistics & Mortality
- In 2010, based on an estimated UK population of 62 million, there were at least 280 000 primary care consultations for an abscess or boil. Ten percent of patients with a boil or abscess develop a repeat boil or abscess within 12 months. (NCBI – British Journal of General Practice. Published online 2015 Sep 28. doi: 10.3399/bjgp15X686929. “Incidence and recurrence of boils and abscesses within the first year: a cohort study in UK primary care.” By: Laura J Shallcross, PhD; Andrew C Hayward, MD; Anne M Johnson, MD; Irene Petersen, PhD.)