Imaging of superficial soft-tissue infections: sonographic findings in cases of cellulitis and abscess.

The variation in the sonographic appearances of superficial soft-tissue infections probably reflects a continuous process that leads from soft-tissue edema, seen in cellulitis, to a fully developed abscess and that depends on the type of infection or the immune status of the host. We describe the sonographic findings seen in this process and the variable appearance of abscesses, with emphasis on scanning techniques that facilitate the diagnosis of liquefaction.