[The importance of local factors in recurrent erysipelas]

We report on 366 patients suffering from erysipelas who have been treated in 1977 to 1981. 263 of them had primary infections, 103 showed relapsing erysipelas. In the course of treatment, sex, age, localisation, as well as local terrain factors have been evaluated. Therapy consisted of high dosage antibiotic treatment and correction of the local predisposing terrain factors. 41 of the 103 patients with relapsing erysipelas have been controlled during an observation period between 2 and 6 years. 27 patients of these 41 (63.9%) did not suffer a relapse within the observation period, 14 (34.1%) reported relapses. Local predisposing factors were found more frequently in patients with recurrence of the disease. Therefore, strict therapeutic control of terrain factors seems to be much more important than long-term antibiotic treatment.