Body Piercing Infections

Excerpt

Body piercings have become increasingly popular and a socially acceptable form of body modification. The most common site of piercings is the ear, with increasing popularity involving the mouth, nose, eyebrows, nipples, navel, and genitals. Localized cellulitis is the most common infectious complication resulting from body piercings. If not identified and treated accordingly these localized infections, though rare, can lead to more serious systemic complications such as Ludwig angina, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, and Fournier gangrene as detailed in case reports.