The lesions themselves are the primary symptoms:

• Small firm tender red nodule in skin (early)
• Fluctuant nodule (later)
• Located with hair follicles
• Tender, mildly to moderately painful
• May be single or multiple
• Usually pea-sized, but may be as large as a golf ball
• Swollen
• Pink or red
• May grow rapidly
• May develop white or yellow centers (pustules)
• May weep, ooze, crust
• May join together or spread to other skin areas
• Increasing pain as pus and dead tissue fills the area
• Decreasing pain as the area drains
• Skin redness or inflammation around the lesion

Less common symptoms include the following:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• General discomfort, uneasiness, or malaise

Note: Itching (pruritus) of the skin may occur before the lesion develops.

Diagnosis is primarily based on the appearance of the skin. Skin or mucosal biopsy culture may show staphylococcus or other bacteria.