A hospital in Shenzhen's Longhua District recently shared a case: 'Doctor, my leg is swollen like a radish and it's burning...' A 6-foot, 200-pound man named Xiao Li winced as he entered the clinic, pointing at his red, shiny, swollen right leg. Admitted for examination, he was diagnosed with erysipelas. Asked about his history, the answer was predictable: years of athlete's foot, a habit of picking his toes, and no hand-washing afterward.
Erysipelas is not caused by a virus but by an acute infection from Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus. The bacteria normally lurk on the skin surface and seize any tiny break to spread through subcutaneous tissue. Obese people, with more skin folds, more sweating, and poorer lower-limb circulation, and diabetics, with weakened immunity and impaired skin barriers, are most vulnerable.
What are the symptoms? Summed up in five words: fast, red, swollen, hot, painful. Before onset there may be fever, chills, and body aches like a bad cold. Then a patch of red skin appears with clear borders, rapidly expanding from pale to bright red, hot to the touch, fading under pressure, and intensely painful. In severe cases blisters form or skin dies. Erysipelas is an acute infection, not an ordinary skin condition; left untreated it can cause lymphangitis, sepsis, and chronic swelling.
