What is the Difference Between Cellulitis and Lymphedema

The key difference between cellulitis and lymphedema is that cellulitis is a common medical condition that causes redness, swelling, and pain in areas of the skin due to a bacterial infection, while lymphedema is a common medical condition that causes tissue swelling by the accumulation of lymph fluid due to factors like cancer or parasites.

Cellulitis and lymphedema are two common medical conditions that cause swelling in the human body. In swelling, a part of the human body normally increases in size. Swelling may be due to an injury, inflammation, or fluid retention. The medical term for swelling is edema.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Cellulitis 
3. What is Lymphedema
4. Similarities – Cellulitis and Lymphedema
5. Cellulitis vs Lymphedema in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Cellulitis vs Lymphedema

What is Cellulitis?

Cellulitis is a common bacterial skin infection. Cellulitis normally occurs in the lower legs, but it can also affect the face, arms, and other areas of the body. Moreover, it occurs on one side of the body. Cellulitis usually happens when a skin break allows bacteria to enter the body. The signs and symptoms of this condition may include an irritated area of skin that tends to expand in size, swelling, tenderness, pain, warmth in the affected area, fever, chills, spots, blisters, and dimpling in the skin. When cellulitis is untreated, it can lead to complications such as bacteremia, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, toxic shock syndrome, and necrotizing fasciitis. Cellulitis is caused by bacteria such as streptococcus and staphylococcus. The risk factors for this condition may include injury, weakened immunity, other skin conditions like eczema, long-term swelling of arms or legs (lymphedema), a history of cellulitis, and being overweight.

Cellulitis is diagnosed through physical examinations and blood tests. Furthermore, treatment options for cellulitis include antibiotics for the full course (5 to 10 days), antipyretic medications, and lifestyle and home remedies (place a cool, damp cloth on the affected area, pain medications, elevate the affected part of the body, and wear compression wraps or stockings).

What is Lymphedema?

Lymphedema is swelling in various areas of the human body due to something that affects the lymphatic system. When the lymphatic system does not work well, the body accumulates fluid (protein-rich lymph fluid) and begins to swell. Lymphedema typically affects the arms and legs. But it can also affect other areas of the body. Moreover, this condition may also increase the risk of developing infections. The signs and symptoms of lymphedema may include swelling of part or all of the arm, leg including fingers and toes, a feeling of heaviness, restricted range of motion in the body parts, recurring infections, and skin fibrosis. The causes of lymphedema are cancer, breast cancer surgery, pelvic surgery, radiation therapy, trauma, infection (parasites), obesity, lack of activity, heart conditions like congestive heart failure, blood vessel issues, and kidney disease. The risk factors for lymphedema include older age, excess weight, and conditions like autoimmune conditions (rheumatic or psoriatic arthritis).

Lymphedema can be diagnosed through physical examination, MRI scan, CT scan, ultrasound, and lymphoscintigraphy. Furthermore, treatment options for lymphedema include medications (antibiotics), therapies (exercises, manual lymph drainage, compression bandages, compression garments, and sequential compression garments), surgical and other procedures (lymph node transplant, new drainage paths, and removal of fibrous tissue), lifestyle and home remedies (avoiding injury to the affected limb and protecting oneself from sharp objects).

What are the Similarities Between Cellulitis and Lymphedema?

• Cellulitis and lymphedema are two common medical conditions that cause swelling in the human body.
• Lymphedema is a risk factor for cellulitis.
• Both conditions can be predominantly affected the arms and legs.
• They can be caused by infections.
• Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examinations.
• They are treated through medications like antibiotics and specific therapies.

What is the Difference Between Cellulitis and Lymphedema?

Cellulitis is a common medical condition that causes redness, swelling, and pain in areas of the skin due to a bacterial infection, while lymphedema is a common medical condition that causes tissue swelling by the accumulation of lymph fluid due to factors like cancer or parasites. Thus, this is the key difference between cellulitis and lymphedema. Furthermore, cellulitis is caused by infections of bacteria such as streptococcus and staphylococcus. On the other hand, lymphedema is caused by cancer, breast cancer surgery, pelvic surgery, radiation therapy, trauma, infection, obesity, lack of activity, heart conditions like congestive heart failure, blood vessel issues, or kidney disease.

The below infographic presents the differences between cellulitis and lymphedema in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Cellulitis vs Lymphedema

Cellulitis and lymphedema are two common medical conditions that cause swelling in the human body. Both conditions can predominantly affect areas in the body such as arms and legs. However, cellulitis causes redness, swelling, and pain in areas of the skin due to a bacterial infection. Lymphedema causes tissue swelling by the accumulation of lymph fluid due to factors like cancer or parasites. So, this is the key difference between cellulitis and lymphedema.

Reference:

1. “Cellulitis.” NHS Choices, NHS.
2. “Lymphedema.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Cellulitis1” By RafaelLopez at the English-language Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Lower Limb Lymphedema” By DocHealer – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia