Background: Cellulitis and soft tissue infection are underestimated complications of HIV disease.

Patients and methods:  Sixty‐seven bacteriologically proven consecutive episodes were identified among 2221 HIV‐infected patients hospitalized in a 10‐year period, and assessed according to several epidemiological, microbiological and clinical variables.

Results:  Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently cultured pathogen (50% of 92 isolates), followed by Pseudomonas spp., Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pyogenes; a polymicrobial infection was present in 38.1% of episodes. Drug addiction (p < 0.003) and male gender (p < 0.04) were significantly associated with the occurrence of these complications, which were community‐acquired in 83.6% of cases. While a remarkable variation in the severity of underlying immunodeficiency was shown, hematogenous dissemination occurred in 25.4% of episodes, and proved significantly related to a low CD4⁺ lymphocyte count, and neutropenia. A 21.7% methicillin‐resistance rate was shown among S. aureus isolates. All episodes were favorably treated in 5–16 days, in over 60% of cases with associated β‐lactam‐aminglycoside antibiotics; a recurrence of staphylococcal cellulitis occurred in four patients only.

Conclusion:  Skin and soft tissue infections are continuing causes of morbidity in HIV‐infected patients, even in the highly active antiretroviral therapy era.