What is the Difference Between Cellulitis and Vasculitis

Cellulitis and vasculitis are two conditions characterized by inflammation of the different body tissues. Sometimes, cutaneous vasculitis may cause similar symptoms, such as cellulitis, when it affects the blood vessels underneath the skin. However, these two conditions have different aetiologies.

The key difference between cellulitis and vasculitis is their cause. Cellulitis involves the bacterial infection of the inner layers of the skin while vasculitis involves the inflammation of blood vessels due to abnormal immune reactions.

CONTENTS

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

What is Cellulitis?

Cellulitis is a serious bacterial skin infection. It is mainly caused by Streptococcus and Staphylococcus. The signs and symptoms of cellulitis may include an irritated area of the skin, swelling, tenderness, pain, warmth, fever, chills, spots on the skin, blisters, and skin dimpling.

Figure 01: Cellulitis

Several factors increase the risk of cellulitis, such as injuries, a weakened immune system, having other skin conditions, long term lymphedema, history of cellulitis, and overweight. Cellulitis can be diagnosed through physical examinations, blood tests, X-rays, and CT scans. Furthermore, cellulitis can be treated through a full course of antibiotic, usually 5 to 10 days.

What is Vasculitis?

Vasculitis is an autoimmune disease that affects blood vessels, organs, and tissues. Vasculitis involves the inflammation of blood vessels. Vasculitis may show symptoms in many ways, such as fever, weight loss, loss of appetite, fatigue, headache, general aches and pains, red, itchy, or burning eyes, rashes, lumps, or open sores in the skin, numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness, stroke, heart palpitation, kidney failure, dizziness or sudden loss of hearing, shortness of breath, ulcers on the genitals, runny nose, and swollen and dry mouth.

Figure 02: Vasculitis

The risk factors for this condition are age (older people and children are affected more), family history, cocaine use, certain medications (allopurinol, hydralazine, minocycline, and propylthiouracil), COVID-19 infection, having other immune disorders, and sex (certain types are more likely to affect people of a particular gender).

Vasculitis can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood tests, X-rays, MRI scans, CT scans, PET scans, ultrasounds, heart tests, and biopsy. Furthermore, treatment options for cellulitis include medications like steroids, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, mycophenolate, rituximab, or tocilizumab, and surgery.

Similarities Between Cellulitis and Vasculitis

1. Cellulitis and vasculitis are two conditions that are characterized by the inflammation of different tissues in the body.
2. These conditions may cause complications.
3. Both these conditions can be diagnosed through physical examinations and blood tests.
4. They can be treated through specific medications.

Difference Between Cellulitis and Vasculitis

Definition

1. Cellulitis is a serious bacterial skin infection.
2. Vasculitis is the inflammation of blood vessels due to an abnormal immune reaction.

Causes

1. Cellulitis is caused by streptococcus and Staphylococcus(MRSA-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
2. Vasculitis is caused by autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Sjögren’s syndrome, infections, such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C, allergic reactions to medications, and certain blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.

Signs and Symptoms

1. Signs and symptoms of cellulitis include pain and tenderness in the affected area, redness or inflammation of the skin, skin sore or rash, tight, glossy, swollen skin, a feeling of warmth in the affected area, abscess with pus, and fever.
2. Signs and symptoms of vasculitis include rash, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, pins and needles sensation, joint stiffness, muscle aches, loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, fever, headache, general aches and pains or weakness.

Diagnosis

1. Cellulitis can be diagnosed by physical examination, blood tests, X-rays, and CT scans.
2. Vasculitis can be diagnosed by physical examination, blood tests, X-rays, MRI scans, CT scans, PET scans, ultrasounds, heart tests, and biopsy.

Treatment

1. Cellulitis can be treated with antibiotics such as cefazolin, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, nafcillin, oxacillin, clindamycin, or vancomycin.
2. Vasculitis can be treated with steroids, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, mycophenolate, rituximab, or tocilizumab, and surgery to repair blocked arteries, aneurysms, etc.

The following table summarizes the difference between cellulitis and vasculitis.

Summary – Cellulitis vs Vasculitis

Inflammation is a normal mechanism of the body’s response to injuries and invaders, such as germs. But when it happens for no reason, it causes problems. Cellulitis and vasculitis are both characterized by inflammation of different tissues in the body. Both these conditions can affect the largest organs of the body. However, cellulitis is a common bacterial skin infection, while vasculitis is an autoimmune condition that involves the inflammation of the blood vessels. This summarizes the difference between cellulitis and vasculitis.

FAQ: Cellulitis and Vasculitis

1. What is the main cause of cellulitis?

• Cellulitis is caused by bacteria such as Streptococcus and Staphylococcus. The more serious form is caused by Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

2. How to heal cellulitis?

• Treatment options for cellulitis may include oral, intramuscular (injection), or intravenous (IV) antibiotics, wearing cool, wet dressings on the infection site, surgery, elevating the arm or leg, resting, and taking topical antibiotics.

3. Why does vasculitis occur?

• Vasculitis mainly occurs due to autoimmune reactions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or Sjögren’s syndrome. The other causes may include infections, such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C, allergic reactions to medications, and certain blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.

4. How does one diagnose vasculitis?

• Vasculitis can be diagnosed through a CT scan, MRI scan, biopsy, blood test, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, ultrasound, urinalysis, angiography, and X-ray.

5. What is the best treatment for vasculitis?

• A corticosteroid drug, such as prednisone, is the most common type of drug prescribed to control the inflammation associated with vasculitis. Moreover, surgeries may be performed to repair blocked vessels, aneurysms, etc.

Reference:

1. “Cellulitis: Treatments, Causes, Symptoms, and More.” Healthline, Healthline Media.
2. “Vasculitis.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Cellulitis1” By RafaelLopez at the English-language Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “LV22010” By James Heilman, MD – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

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