Cellulitis in childhood invasive pneumococcal disease: A population-based study.

Cellulitis in childhood invasive pneumococcal disease: A population-based study.

Gubbay JB, McIntyre PB, Gilmour RE.

National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and the University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Aim:

There are few detailed data on the age-specific incidence and clinical pattern of pneumococcal cellulitis in children. We conducted a retrospective review of cellulitis as a subset of prospectively collected laboratory-identified invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and performed a systematic review of published literature.

Methods:

Prospective laboratory surveillance in urban regions of New South Wales, Australia, 1 June 1997-31 December 2001. Medical notes reviewed for each identified case and defined literature search strategy applied.

Results:

There were 1067 cases of IPD in children aged 0-17 years; 38 (3.3%) were cellulitis (32 periorbital, 6 buccal). Compared with other types of IPD, a greater proportion of cellulitis cases occur in children <2 p =" 0.004)" p =" 0.06).">

Conclusion:

Cellulitis is an uncommon focus in IPD in children, and is almost always facial. Most cases occur under 2 years of age, are seldom associated with meningitis or other complications, and are frequently not recognised on admission.

PMID: 16737477 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Additional Studies:

Pneumococcal Facial Cellulitis in Children

Bacteremic pneumococcal cellulitis compared with bacteremic cellulitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.