Phlegmon is a medical term describing an inflammation of soft tissue that spreads under the skin or inside the body. It’s usually caused by an infection and produces pus.
The difference between phlegmon and abscess is as follows:From Wikipedia:
- A phlegmon is unbounded and can keep spreading out along connective tissue and muscle fiber.
- An abscess is walled in and confined to the area of infection. Usually, an abscess can be drained of its infected fluid. A phlegmon can’t be easily drained.
As with any form of inflammation, phlegmon presents with inflammatory signs: dolor (localized pain), calor (increase local tissue temperature), rubor (skin redness/hyperemia), tumor (either clear or non-clear bordered tissue swelling), and functio laesa (diminish affected function).
edit. note: While the g is silent in the word phlegm and phlegmy, it is voiced in the words phlegmatic and phlegmon (otherwise you could say that "when life gives you phlegmons, make phlegmonade.")
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