Rare diseases · Sign or symptom

Cellulitis

Bacterial infection of skin

HP:0100658

What it means

A bacterial infection and inflammation of the skin und subcutaneous tissues.

In contrast to impetigo, which is a very superficial skin infection, cellulitis involves both the dermis and the underlying subcutaneous tissue.

In everyday care

Most people with this sign do not have a rare disease — it appears in common conditions far more often. These general reference pages cover the same topic:

Rare diseases that can present with this34

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Skin infection · Skin infections

Cellulitis

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This page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.