Definition:
An abscess is a walled-off collection of pus. Abscesses that appear in areas of friction or minor trauma such as underneath the belt, the fronts of the thighs, buttocks, groin, and armpits, are called furuncles or carbuncles.
The clinical signs of an abscess are redness, induration, and fluctuance. In general, abscesses need to be incised and drained, I&D, because the chemical reactions in the pus prevent antibiotics from penetrating well into the surrounding tissues.
