Two patients were referred to a department of oral and maxillofacial surgery with a redness and swelling of the face which had suddenly developed together with a mild illness. The diagnosis of erysipelas was made clinically. This skin infection is generally caused by ß-haemolytic streptococci group-A. Treatment is generally in the first instance medicinal. The drugs of choice for treating erysipelas in the vast majority of cases are narrow-spectrum penicillins.