acne to impetigo after acne steroid shot

[misdiagnose]

went to see doctor for pimples on my chin... he said it was acne and gave me steroid shot and i will be beautiful by the next day... well it did not happen, the next day it became a blister and  all of them look twice as big and it was crusting...by the next day it was crusting and oozing out honey colored liquid and forming a very dark scab and really swollen.and my lower lip closest to the acne is very itchy and had small little blister infact my whole lower lip was very itchy so i decided to go to ER... to my horror the Dr. on duty told me that i have facial impetigo..... (by the way the day i came to the dr. office for the very first time i was in pain because it was swollen and my lymph node swollen like a half of a golf ball) so is it possible to get acne and turn into impetigo after a steroid shot...or was i misdiagnose..thanks

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

Yes it is possible that the bumps may have been thought to be acne when they are actually impetigo.However, impetigo in its earlier stages may actually appear to be pimple like bumps not so unlike real pimples or acne. These bumps  may later become fluid filled blisters as in your case. Another possible differential here is  bacterial folliculitis.The steroid injection caused a break in the skin which could have caused further spread of the infection.

Impetigo is caused by skin bacteria just like folliculitis.Both skin conditions are contagious so it is best to avoid any direct contact with family and friends since you may increase the chance of the disease to spread. Your physician may prescribe you with oral antibiotics. Take plenty of water and avoid sharing any soaps and towels.

[loiloi]

Steroids can actually make acne worse so if you are prone to spots talk to your doctor about a better way to maintain clear skin. As Vanessa says, oral antibiotics such as oxytetracycline can be useful. Dermatologists have found that the best prescription acne gel is Differin. Differin is especially effective when used in conjunction with oral treatment such as antibiotics or anti-androgens (for females only). Loiloi xx