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Tests and diagnosis

By Mayo Clinic staff

The appearance of your skin will help your doctor make a diagnosis. Your doctor may also suggest blood tests, a wound culture or other tests to help rule out a blood clot deep in the veins of your legs. Cellulitis in the lower leg is characterized by signs and symptoms that may be similar to those of a clot occurring deep in the veins, such as warmth, pain and swelling.

References
  1. Cellulitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec10/ch119/ch119b.html. Accessed Nov. 16, 2009.
  2. Baddour LM. Cellulitis and erysipelas. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 12, 2009.
  3. Stevens DL. Infections of the skin, muscle, and soft tissues. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2860782. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009.
  4. Eron LJ. In the clinic: Cellulitis and soft tissue infections. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2009;150:1.
  5. Bernard P. Management of common bacterial infections of the skin. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2008;21:122.
  6. Lawrence Gibson, M.D. (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 27, 2009.
  7. Carl Anderson, M.D. (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 21, 2009.
DS00450 Jan. 15, 2010

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