Cutaneous anthrax: conservative or surgical treatment?

This article summarizes the diagnostic features and treatment recommendations for cutaneous anthrax, exemplified by a case report of nontypical cutaneous anthrax. The treatment of choice is medical, with ciprofloxacin or doxycycline the preferred antibiotics. However, surgical biopsy may be used if the clinical setting and microbiologic examination of swabs are not diagnostically conclusive. Histopathologic findings explain the clinical observation that most cutaneous anthrax lesions heal without scar formation.