Impetigo Contagiosa
Give a descriptive definition of impetigo contagiosa.
Impetigo contagiosa is an acute, contagious, inflammatory disease, characterized by the formation of discrete, superficial, flat, rounded, or ovalish vesicles or blebs, soon becoming vesico-pustular, and drying to thin yellowish crusts.
Upon what parts does the eruption commonly appear?
Upon the face, scalp, and hands, and exceptionally upon other regions.
Describe the symptoms of impetigo contagiosa.
One, several or more small pin-head-sized papulo-vesicles or vesicles make their appearance, usually upon the face and fingers. In the male adult the region of the neck and beard is a favorite situation. They increase in size by extending peripherally, but are more or less flattened and umbilicated, and are without conspicuous areola. The lesions may attain the size of a dime or larger, and when close together may coalesce and form a large patch. In some cases distinct blebs result, and a picture of pemphigus eruption presented; it is probable that many of the cases of “contagious pemphigus” belong to this class. New lesions may appear for several days, but finally, in the course of a week or ten days, they have all dried to thin, wafer-like crusts, of a straw or light-yellow color, but slightly adherent, and appearing as if stuck on; these soon drop off, leaving faint reddish spots, which gradually fade. In some cases there is so decided a tendency to clear and dry up centrally while spreading peripherally that the eruption has a ring-like aspect; this seems especially so in the bearded region of the male adult.
Instead of presenting as described, it may occur as one or more pea- or finger-nail-sized, rounded and elevated, usually firm, discrete pustules, scattered over one part, or more commonly over various regions, such as the face, hands, feet and lower extremities. The pustules are such from the beginning, and when developed are usually of the size of a pea or finger-nail, elevated, semi-globular or rounded, with somewhat thick and tough walls, and of a whitish or yellowish color; at first there may be a slight inflammatory areola, but as the lesion matures this almost, if not entirely, disappears. The pustules show no disposition to umbilication, rupture or coalescence; drying in the course of several days or a week to yellowish or brownish crusts, which soon drop off, leaving no permanent trace. This variety was formerly thought to be a distinct disease, and was described under the name of impetigo simplex.
As a rule there are no constitutional symptoms, but in the more severe cases the eruption may be preceded by febrile disturbance and malaise. Itching may or may not be present.
State the cause of the disease.
It is contagious, the contents of the lesions being inoculable and auto-inoculable. At times it seems to prevail in epidemic form. Pyogenic microörganisms are now regarded as causative. A relationship to vaccination has been alleged by some observers. It is more commonly observed in infants and young children.
From what diseases is impetigo contagiosa to be differentiated?
From eczema, pemphigus, and ecthyma.
How does impetigo contagiosa differ from these several diseases?
By the character of the lesions, their growth, their superficial nature, their course, the absence of an inflammatory base and areola, the thin, yellowish, wafer-like crusts, and usually a history of contagion.
State the prognosis.
The effect of treatment is usually prompt. The disease, indeed, tends to spontaneous disappearance in two to four weeks; in exceptional instances, more especially in those cases in which itching is present, the excoriations or scratch-marks become inoculated, and in this way it may persist several weeks.
What is the treatment of impetigo contagiosa?
Treatment consists in the destruction of the auto-inoculable properties of the contents of the lesions; this is effected by removing the crusts by means of warm water-and-soap washings, and subsequently rubbing in an ointment of ammoniated mercury, ten to twenty grains to the ounce. Some cases respond more rapidly to the use of a drying ointment, such as Lassar's paste, with ten to twenty grains of white precipitate or sulphur to the ounce. In itching cases, a saturated solution of boric acid, or a carbolic-acid lotion, one to two drachms to the pint, is to be employed for general application.