T he quinolones are an important class of broad-spectrum antimicrobials in common use today. Multiple quinolones are currently available in the United States (Table 1) with broader spectrums and longer half-lives than older quinolones, such as nalidixic acid (Fig 1A). Originally, quinolones as a class were shown to have good activity against Gram-negative rods and were useful in urinary tract infections. Recently, there has been an explosion in the development of these antimicrobials, and they are now used for a variety of infections, including cutaneous diseases. In this review, we will focus on the peculiarities of the quinolones in respect to cutaneous infections and side effects, as well as their use and side effects in other organ systems.