1. Boils Slideshow Pictures
2. Medical Illustrations of Boils Image Collection
3. Adult Skin Problems Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• Boils facts
• What is a boil? What are the symptoms and signs of a boil?
• What causes boils to form?
• Who is most likely to get a boil?
• How are boils diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for a boil?
• When should I seek medical attention for a boil?
• What is the prognosis (outcome) for a boil?
• What can be done to prevent boils (abscesses)?
• Pictures of Boils - Slideshow
• Medical Illustrations of Boils Image Collection
• Adult Skin Problems - Slideshow
• Patient Comments: Boils - Effective Treatments
• Patient Comments: Boils - Location and Symptoms
• Patient Comments: Boils - Causes
• Patient Comments: Boils - Experience
• Find a local Dermatologist in your town
• Boils Index

There are many causes of boils. Some boils can be caused by an ingrown hair. Others can form as the result of a splinter or other foreign material that has become lodged in the skin. Others boils, such as those of acne, are caused by plugged sweat glands that become infected.

The skin is an essential part of our immune defense against materials and microbes that are foreign to our body. Any break in the skin, such as a cut or scrape, can develop into an abscess should it become infected with bacteria.

Anyone can develop a boil. However, people with certain illnesses or who take certain medications that impair the body's immune system (the natural defense system against foreign materials or microbes) are more likely to develop boils. Among the illnesses that can be associated with impaired immune systems are diabetes and kidney failure. Diseases in which there is inadequate antibody production (such as hypogammaglobulinemia), that are associated with deficiencies in the normal immune system can increase the tendency to develop boils.

Many medications can suppress the normal immune system and increase the risk of developing boils. These medications include cortisone medications (prednisone [Deltasone, Liquid Pred] and prednisolone [Pediapred Oral Liquid, Medrol]) and medications used for cancer chemotherapy.