• Alan R Lucerna, James Espinosa, and Anne M Darlington.
• Emergency Medicine Residency, Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, New Jersey; Department of Emergency Medicine, Kennedy University Hospital - Stratford, Stratford, New Jersey.
• J Emerg Med. 2015 Jul 1;49(1):8-11.

BackgroundIt is rare for angioedema to be misidentified by the experienced clinician or for it to mimic another disease process. As an Emergency Physician, it is important to recognize and treat angioedema immediately. Of equal importance is the recognition and initiation of treatment of facial cellulitis. A case report follows that illustrates methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) lip infection mimicking angioedema.Case ReportHere, we describe a case of a 21-year-old man who presented with a swollen lower lip, initially diagnosed as angioedema. Further investigation revealed the cause of his lip swelling was actually a MRSA abscess and surrounding cellulitis, an unusual presentation for lip infection, which we discuss below. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Misidentifying MRSA lip infection for angioedema, with a delay in proper treatment, could result in serious morbidity or mortality.Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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