Carbuncle

A carbuncle is a cluster of boils (or furuncles) forming a connected, swollen, painful area of infection. Carbuncles are caused by bacterial infections, most commonly by Staphylococcus or Streptococcus.

Quotes

• Prof. Verneuil, at the meeting of the Academy of Medicine of Paris held on January 17th last, made an interesting communication on the treatment of carbuncle by carbolised spray. ... He stated that in 1883, in a severe case of carbuncle, he directed that carbonized spray be frequently applied in order to thoroughly disinfect the parts previously to an operation being performed. To his surprise, he found that under the use of the carbolised spray such improvement had declared itself that surgical interference became unnecessary. Henceforth he exclusively resorted to the carbolised spray on all cases of carbuncle. Whether they were large or small, painful or indolent, complicated or not with diabetes, previously opened by surgery, by sloughing, or with the skin as yet unbroken, in every case the same local treatment was applied, and always with a successful result.
  • Henry Blanc, (June 9, 1888) . "On the treatment of carbuncle by carbolised spray". The Lancet 131 (3380): 1129–1130.

• A furuncle is a deep, necrotizing form of folliculitis with involvement of the subcutaneous tissue. Several furuncles may coalesce to form a carbuncle. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is the causative agent. Predisposing factors are obesity, diabetes, prolonged sitting, tight irritating pants, or immunodeficiencies.
  Recurrent furunculosis is the sequential occurrence of many furuncles. Nasal colonization with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) interspersing the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) toxin is a very strong risk factor for recurrent furunculosis.
  Antibiotics systemically are given in furuncles or carbuncles associated with surrounding cellulitis or those >5 cm diameter and/or associated with fever or located on the forehead, nose, cheeks, or upper lid in recurrent furunculosis and immunocompromised patients.
  • Dimitrios Ioannides and Elizabeth Lazaridou, "Furuncles and carbuncles". European Handbook of Dermatological Treatments. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. 2023. pp. 339–344. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-15130-9_32.  (book preview at books.google.com)

• He continued at work until March, 1853, when he had an accident—a fall while descending some steps. A few weeks later a carbuncle appeared on the neck, and proved fatal April 25. ...
  You do well, citizens of St. Louis and member of our profession, to cherish the memory of William Beaumont.
  • William Osler, (November 15, 1902) "William Beaumont: A Pioneer American Physiologist". Journal of the American Medical Association 39 (20): 1223–1231. (quote from p. 1230; an address to the St. Louis Medical Society, October 4, 1902)

• Carbuncle is a confluent folliculitis that is infection affecting multiple hair follicles leading to multiple sinuses discharging pus. Optimisation of co-morbidities such as diabetes, adequate hydration, and antibiotics and are mainstay of initial treatment. Surgical intervention in the form of debridement and desloughing followed by wound care is the next line of management.
  • Dian Mahfudz Asri Saputri, (2025) . "Effectiveness of co-amoxiclav antibiotic therapy in carbuncle patients with type II diabetes mellitus". Journal of Evidence-based Nursing and Public Health 2 (2): 155–167.

• When the cook came in he was in a bad mood. He had a developing carbuncle on the back of his neck and the skin from the inside of an eggshell stretched over it to draw it to a head. He didn't want anybody in his kitchen, feeling the way the way he did.
  • John Steinbeck, East of Eden (pbk ed.). Penguin Books. 2002. p. 553. ISBN 9781440631320.  (608 pages; 1st edition 1952, published by Viking Press)

• The starting-point of this lecturing trip around the world was Paris, where we had been living for a year or two.
  We sailed for America, and there were made certain preparations. This took but little time. Two members of my family elected to go with me, also a carbuncle. The dictionary says a carbuncle is a kind of jewel. Humour is out of place in a dictionary.
  • Mark Twain, More Tramps Abroad. Volume 1 (2nd ed.). Chatto & Windus. 1897. p. 1.  (518 pages)

External links

• Boils and carbuncles - Symptoms & causes. Mayo Clinic.
• Boils and carbuncles - Diagnosis & treatment. Mayo Clinic.