Skin Boils and Other Infections Gallery

MRSA Blister on Toe

Victim Bridget thought this blister was from a spider bite until the doctor told her it was methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Bridget submitted this picture so others could see what skin infections look like and learn how important it is to see a doctor when blisters or lesions continue to get worse.

Bridget was given antibiotics to kill the infection. Hopefully, she took all the antibiotics she was prescribed. If we don't complete all the antibiotics as directed, we can encourage the growth of germs like MRSA that are resistant to certain antibiotics.

Despite her physician telling her not to, Bridget popped the blister.

MRSA Blister Popped

What Bridget thought was a spider bite turned out to be methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). A painful blister developed on her toes that wasn't healing on its own. Bridget was prescribed antibiotics to kill the infection.

Bridget says she popped the blister after three days because she couldn't take the pain and pressure. She was advised not to by her physician, but did anyway.

I certainly don't recommend going against a doctor's advice; that's the reason we go to the doctor in the first place. Bridget could have introduced another infection into the lesion and made her foot worse. She could also have encouraged the MRSA to migrate to other parts of her body.

Impetigo

Impetigo is a bacterial infection of the skin that is pretty common in kids (in fact, I hear some folks incorrectly pronounce it infantigo). It comes from either Staphylococcus or Streptococcus bacteria.

Impetigo is easily treated, doesn't cause a fever and your doctor will most likely be able to identify it just by looking at it. If he or she isn't sure, your doctor can test the lesions to see if it is impetigo or not.

Although this isn't MRSA, notice how it looks very similar to other skin infections. Also, note how similar these lesions look to the types of blisters and skin sores that people often associate with spider bites.

MRSA Lesion on Inmate's Arm

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can't be identified simply by looking at it.

Blisters and boils are the most common forms of MRSA infections on the skin. Commonly mistaken as spider bites—even by physicians—these staph infections are highly resistant to many antibiotics.

This MRSA infection is draining pus. Physicians will often cut into an MRSA infection to drain it. This should only be done by a health care professional. It requires sterile technique and there is a risk of spreading the MRSA infection if it is not done correctly.

MRSA Boil on Inmate's Arm

MRSA infections spread easily through crowded conditions like those in prisons and military barracks. While there's no difference in the actual bacteria, MRSA infections that spread through hospitals and nursing homes are referred to as hospital-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA). MRSA infections that come from other areas—including prisons, homes and barracks—are known as community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA).

Even though MRSA most often shows up as blisters or boils, not all blisters or boils are from MRSA. Other forms of Staphylococcus aureus, as well as group A Streptococcus bacteria, cause skin infections that look very similar. Whether it's a staph infection, a strep infection or MRSA, if the boil develops and doesn't go away in a few days, see a doctor.

Skin Boil in Zambia

This reader was concerned his boil came from a spider:

It started small -- blister like (yellow white) -- after a few hours the blisters was surrounded by reddish and swollen flesh, which was hard when you touched it. This area just increased in everything, a swollen reddish area and even the small blister became more yellow and bigger.

He saw a doctor in Zambia, who lanced and drained his boil. He felt this common boil treatment made it worse:

The local doctor in Mansa, Zambia diagnosed this to be a BOIL and that it should be cut and pushed out! I believe this action just aggravated the sore, (I don't know what should have been done) but this sore then properly increased in everything!

Swollen Face

Tami Berg submitted these pictures of an infection in her face that had been bothering her since she visited a family member in the hospital. Her doctor suggested that she may have acquired the infection in the hospital -- nasty places those hospitals.

Tami's swelling progressed quickly over a 3 day period. She went to the doc on day 1 and received augmentin, an oral antibiotic. It wasn't working.

On the third day of swelling (the picture on the left) Tami went to the doctor again. By now the swelling had progressed so much her general practitioner sent her to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. She was given an injection of Rocephin.

The picture on the right was taken the same day as the other picture, but 4 hours after the Rocephin injection.

Tami originally thought the pain and irritation she was feeling came from a pimple. It wasn't until the swelling made her look "like a Who from Whoville" that she sought help from her doctor. Swelling from infections like this can put pressure on important structures like nerves and airways, so when the swelling gets bad enough it's time to go to the doc.

Any opinions expressed here are for educational purposes only and are not intended for diagnosis.