An abscess is a localized inflammatory process in which the white blood cells accumulate at the site of infection in the dermis and/or subcutaneous tissue. Lesions evolve over days to 1-2 weeks. They are usually painful and are sometimes associated with fever. Abscesses are typically caused by Staphylococcus species.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) first emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen in the 1960s. In more recent years, community-acquired outbreaks of MRSA (CA-MRSA) have been described increasingly among healthy individuals lacking the traditional risk factors for such infections (intravenous [IV] drug use, incarceration, participation in contact sports, etc). These strains have a propensity for causing abscesses, furunculosis, and folliculitis and have a unique antibiotic susceptibility profile from health care-associated strains of MRSA (HA-MRSA).