Furunculosis in Focus: Diagnosing Deep Follicular Infections

Your Weekly Prompt to the Science of Skin and Success.Get your gloves: we’re going in.

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DFPC Team
June 19, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Welcome back, DERM Community!

Last week, we broke down erysipelas, the fiery, fast-spreading skin infection with sharp borders and systemic risk.
Missed it? Revisit our visual guide to spot early warning signs faster and know exactly when to escalate in clinic.

In this week’s deep dive: Furunculosis

  • What recurrent boils could be telling you about a patient’s immune status
    When to move beyond drainage and start thinking about systemic strategies

  • Real clinical tips from our advanced modules

  • What recurrent boils may reveal about immune status

  • When drainage isn’t enough and systemic therapy matters

  • Tips from real cases inside our advanced Derm modules

Think furunculosis is just outpatient? Think again. 

Some cases need more than drainage. Learn how we approach severe or recurrent cases inside our advanced Derm modules.

Recurrent furunculosis isn’t just a skin condition: it’s a public health issue when outbreaks occur in households, athletic teams, or community settings.

It can lead to:

  • Carbuncles with risk of deep soft tissue involvement

  • Bacteremia or sepsis in severe cases

  • Scarring or pigment changes after healing

  • Chronic carriers of MRSA, complicating future infections

Common misdiagnoses include:

  • Inflamed epidermal cysts

  • Hidradenitis suppurativa (especially in the axillae)

  • Spider bites

  • Other folliculitis variants

🎁 Grab the Free Guide

We put together a visual, printable reference: perfect to share with patients or keep on-hand in clinic.

FREE Resource on Furunculosis.pdf5.48 MB • PDF File

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👋🏻 See you next Thursday, DERM community!

Furunculosis might start small, but it’s often painful, recurrent, and socially impactful.

Recognizing it early and responding appropriately can break the cycle of chronic infections and prevent transmission.

📣 Got a Tough Case?

Seen a tough case of furunculosis? Of something else?

One that surprised you with resistance or complications?
Hit reply: we’d love to feature your clinical pearl in an upcoming issue.

❝

Stay sharp. Stay curious. And help your patients heal inside and out.

— The Derm for Primary Care Team

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