Cellulitis mimickers

Differential Diagnosis

Vascular disorders
- Superficial thrombophlebitis
- Deep venous thrombosis (DVT)
Dermatologic disorders
- Contact dermatitis
- Insect stings or bites, or other envenemation
- Drug reactions
- Eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells syndrome)
- Sweet syndrome
Rheumatic disorders
- Gouty arthritis
Immunologic disorders
- Erythromelalgia
- Relapsing polychondritis
Malignant disorders
- Carcinoma erysipelatoides
Familial disorders
- Familial Mediterranean fever
- Familial Hibernian fever
Foreign-body reactions
- Reaction to metal implant
- Mesh intolerance
- Foreign-body granulomatous reactions, such as to silicone injections and paraffin oils

Dermatologic disorders
- Urticaria and angioedema
- Follicular occlusion triad
  - Hidradenitis suppurativa
  - Acne conglobata
  - Dissecting cellulitis of the scap (perifolliculitis capitis abscedens et suffodiens)
Vascular disorders
- Lymphedema
Immunologic disorders
- Lupus erythematosus
- Sarcoidosis
- Polyarteritis nodosa
Panniculitis
- Septal
  - Erythema nodosum
  - Lipodermatosclerosis
  - Morphea
  - Eosinophilic fasciitis
  - Eosinophilia myalgia syndrome
- Lobular
  - Physical panniculitis
    - Colid-induced
    - Traumatic
    - Chemical
    - Factitious
    - Postirradiation
  - Panniculitis associated with systemic disease
    - Pancreatic panniculitis
    - Lupus panniculitis
    - Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
  - Weber-Christian disease
  - Cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis
  - Post-steroid panniculitis
  - Nodular vascultiis
Malignant disorders
- Lyphoma
- Leukemia
- Paget disease of the breast
- Extramammary Paget disease
- Glucogonoma
Other disorders
- Calciphylaxis
- Compartment syndrome