What term is used for several communicating boils that drain from separate openings?

The term used for several communicating boils that drain from separate openings is "carbuncles." A carbuncle typically refers to a cluster of boils (furuncles) that are interconnected and involve deeper layers of the skin. The presence of multiple openings indicates that the infection has spread and created a more extensive area of inflammation and pus accumulation.

This contrasts with a singular boil, which would be referred to as a furuncle. While abscesses are localized collections of pus, they do not specifically indicate the communicating nature of multiple boils. Folliculitis refers to the inflammation of hair follicles, which may lead to small pus-filled bumps but does not imply the drainage from separate openings or a more extensive infection like a carbuncle. Furunculosis is a condition characterized by multiple furuncles, but it does not denote the distinct interconnectedness and separate drainage sites that a carbuncle does. Thus, carbuncles encapsulate the concept of multiple boils draining from different points under the skin's surface, making it the most accurate term in this context.