Erysipelas on port-wine stain.

Abstract

In the literature erysipelas has been not associated with port-wine stain, except for a case we described (1). Erysipelas is an acute superficial cellulitis, caused by group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus; it can be also observed in the normal child. Contributing factors are breaks of the skin integrity, being overweight, venous insufficiency, lymphedema, diabetes, immune deficiency, and nephrotic syndrome (3). In our case the contributing factors were overweight and probably port-wine stain. In port-wine stain and especially in cases with limb asymmetry, the blood capillary malformation is often associated with lymphatic malformations and secondary bad drainage. Some Authors (2) showed that in patients with recurrent erysipelas of a limb there is a defective lymphatic drainage also in the not affected limb. Therefore, anyhow induced lymphatic stasis favors the onset of erysipelas.