Carbuncle, << KAHR buhng kuhl, >> is a painful infection of the skin and tissues just under the skin. A carbuncle is a warm, tender, dark red lump. Carbuncles most often develop on the back of the neck. They usually break through the skin in several places and discharge pus.
Carbuncles are caused by bacteria called staphylococci. The bacteria enter through the opening around a hair or through a break in the skin. They multiply and move into deeper tissues. Carbuncles are most common in elderly or malnourished individuals. They also affect people who suffer from diabetes and certain other chronic (long-term) diseases.
Carbuncles are dangerous because the infection can spread through the bloodstream to other parts of the body. They should be treated by a physician. Antibiotics can cure most carbuncles.
