IMPETIGO


Meaning of IMPETIGO in English

bacterial inflammatory skin disease that begins as a superficial vesicle (blister), which then ruptures and gives rise to a weeping spot on which the fluid dries to form a crust. Impetigo is caused by staphylococcal or streptococcal bacteria. It is seldom contagious in adults, a little more so in children, and very contagious in newborn infants. Except for impetigo herpetiformis, a rare form of impetigo that affects pregnant women, the lesions of uncomplicated impetigo can be effectively treated with a topical (locally applied) broad-spectrum antibiotic; in more extensive impetiginous involvement, especially in infants, the early use of a systemic antibiotic may be advisable.

Britannica English vocabulary.      Английский словарь Британика.