Abstract :
Mastitis is an inflammation of breast parenchyma, predominantly occurring in the breastfeeding period, with or without accompanying infection and appears as lactational or puerperal and non-lactational as is associated with duct ectasia. Breast abscess is a focal accumulation of purulent substances within the breast parenchyma emerging as a complication of mastitis and is common in lactating women. Comprehensive incidence of mastitis is around 33% whereas breast abscess arises in approximately 3% to 11% of subjects with mastitis.
An estimated two fifths (40%) of breast abscess or certain breast infections are poly-microbial and specific aerobes such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, Corynebacterium, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas along with anaerobes as with Pepto-streptococcus, Propionibacterium, Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, Eubacterium, Clostridium, Fusobacterium and Veillonella can engender the disease. Subjects with mastitis enunciate flu-like symptoms with malaise, myalgia, fever, mammary pain, decline in milk egress, local warmth, tenderness, firmness and swelling of breast region and localized erythema. Breast abscess usually delineates mammary pain and/or a breast lump. Lactational breast abscess morphologically recapitulates an acute inflammation whereas non-lactational breast abscess is commonly sub-areolar and appears as a fistula of lacteriferous ducts, eventually emerging as chronically draining sinuses and breast abscess adjacent to the areola. Squamous metaplasia of lacteriferous duct epithelium, duct obstruction, and sub-areolar ductal dilatation or duct ectasia can ensue.
Keyword :
Breast, Aerobes, Anaerobes