Dec 25, 2009 00:15
14 yrs ago
10 viewers *
English term
cellulitis vs. phlegmon
English
Medical
Medical (general)
Can they be used interchangeably? I am proofreading and the translator uses the two terms interchangeably ( she translated cellulitis from another language as phlegmon).
I fear that it is not medically correct to use them interchangeably.
Senior MDs [any dermatologists out there?] especially welcome to comment.Thanks a lot!
I fear that it is not medically correct to use them interchangeably.
Senior MDs [any dermatologists out there?] especially welcome to comment.Thanks a lot!
Responses
4 +4 | in this context, the same | Filippe Vasconcellos de Freitas Guimarães |
4 | not the same | Constantinos Faridis (X) |
References
The same | Tina Vonhof (X) |
Responses
+4
12 hrs
Selected
in this context, the same
Both words mean "a diffuse inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue due to infection", usually with Gram-positive bacteria. Most scholarly sources now use the two interchangeably, as a quick search of PubMed will show. "Phlegmon" is a rather outdated term, originally used as a counterpoint to "abscess".
Here is the definition of cellulitis from Bolognia's Dermatology, a standard textbook: "Cellulitis is an infection of the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue caused most commonly by Str. pyogenes and S. aureus".
A distinction between "cellulitis" and "phlegmon" in a dermatology setting did originally exist, with "phlegmon" sometimes considered the outcome of cellulitis, but this distinction has been lost at least since the 1900s, as suggested in this 1935 article (sadly in Portuguese!).
http://www.rborl.org.br/conteudo/acervo/print_acervo.asp?id=...
There may still be a distinction in other contexts, but if we're talking about soft tissue infection, I see no problem in using both interchangeably, although I see absolutely no reason to translate "cellulitis" as "phlegmon" when the former is much more widely used and understood in English!
Here is the definition of cellulitis from Bolognia's Dermatology, a standard textbook: "Cellulitis is an infection of the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue caused most commonly by Str. pyogenes and S. aureus".
A distinction between "cellulitis" and "phlegmon" in a dermatology setting did originally exist, with "phlegmon" sometimes considered the outcome of cellulitis, but this distinction has been lost at least since the 1900s, as suggested in this 1935 article (sadly in Portuguese!).
http://www.rborl.org.br/conteudo/acervo/print_acervo.asp?id=...
There may still be a distinction in other contexts, but if we're talking about soft tissue infection, I see no problem in using both interchangeably, although I see absolutely no reason to translate "cellulitis" as "phlegmon" when the former is much more widely used and understood in English!
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Michael Barnett
: I think you've summed things up very nicely. "Phlegmon" is a somewhat archaic term that is essentially synonymous with cellulitis.
3 hrs
|
Thank you, Michael; "essentially synonymous" is exactly what I was going for. Merry Christmas!
|
|
agree |
Tina Vonhof (X)
3 hrs
|
Thank you, Tina! Merry Christmas!
|
|
agree |
Rolf Keiser
22 hrs
|
Thank you! Happy holidays!
|
|
agree |
George C.
3 days 4 hrs
|
Thank you!
|
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks!"
6 hrs
not the same
Overview: The word cellulitis literally means inflammation of the cells. It generally indicates an acute spreading infection of the dermis ...
emedicine.medscape.com/.../781412-overview
Phlegmon affecting the spine is known as spondylodiskitis and is associated with loss of disk height and endplate destruction. In adults, the bone marrow is ...
Etiology - Classifications - Clinical pictures - Diagnostics
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlegmon - Προσωρινά αποθηκευμένη - Παρόμοιεςphlegmon - definition of phlegmon in the Medical dictionary - by ... - [ Μετάφραση αυτής της σελίδας ]
phlegmon /phleg·mon/ (fleg´mon) diffuse inflammation of the soft or connective tissue due to infection.phleg´monous. phleg·mon (fl g m n ) ...
medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/phlegmon
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 ημέρες (2010-01-02 09:00:18 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
in all contexts is not the same. cellulitis<cellula and inflammation<flamma
emedicine.medscape.com/.../781412-overview
Phlegmon affecting the spine is known as spondylodiskitis and is associated with loss of disk height and endplate destruction. In adults, the bone marrow is ...
Etiology - Classifications - Clinical pictures - Diagnostics
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlegmon - Προσωρινά αποθηκευμένη - Παρόμοιεςphlegmon - definition of phlegmon in the Medical dictionary - by ... - [ Μετάφραση αυτής της σελίδας ]
phlegmon /phleg·mon/ (fleg´mon) diffuse inflammation of the soft or connective tissue due to infection.phleg´monous. phleg·mon (fl g m n ) ...
medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/phlegmon
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 ημέρες (2010-01-02 09:00:18 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
in all contexts is not the same. cellulitis<cellula and inflammation<flamma
Reference comments
4 hrs
Reference:
The same
It appears that they are the same:
http://www.mondofacto.com/facts/dictionary?cellulitis
http://www.mondofacto.com/facts/dictionary?phlegmon
http://www.find-health-articles.com/msh-cellulitis.htm
http://www.mondofacto.com/facts/dictionary?cellulitis
http://www.mondofacto.com/facts/dictionary?phlegmon
http://www.find-health-articles.com/msh-cellulitis.htm
Peer comments on this reference comment:
agree |
Filippe Vasconcellos de Freitas Guimarães
8 hrs
|
Thank you.
|
Discussion