Cellulitis Due to Umbilical Compression Material for Adhesive Strapping Therapy for Umbilical Hernia

Adhesive strapping therapy is widely used for umbilical hernia in infants and serious complications are rare. Here we report a case of a 2-month-old girl who developed cellulitis during adhesive strapping therapy with an umbilical compression material and required hospitalization. Five days after the start of adhesive strapping therapy, she presented to our hospital with a laceration, intense redness of the skin, induration, and drainage of pus at the compression site. Her white blood cell count was 13,200/μL (neutrophils 56%) and C-reactive protein level was 3.78 mg/dL. Ultrasonography showed hyper-echogenicity of the surrounding fatty tissue and blood flow signals, so cellulitis was diagnosed. Symptoms rapidly improved after 5 days of antibiotic treatment. Cellulitis during adhesive strapping therapy is rare but should be kept in mind as a potential complication.